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HISTORICAL SKETCHES 



OF 



MERIDEN. 



BY G. W. PERKINS. 






WEST MERIDEN: 

PUBLISHED BY FRANKLIN E. HINMAN. 

1849. 



[Copy RIGHT SECURED ACCORDING TO Law] 






PREFACE. 

The compiler of the following pages, prepared a few 
historical sketches or reminiscences of Meriden, as a 
substitute for a Thanksgiving sermon ; for the dreary 
sight of empty seats, on those annual occasions, in a 
house usually full, left him no heart to preach on that 
day. Quite to his astonishment, the hearers were enough 
interested in the sketches to ask for their publication^ 
with such additions as might be accessible. With the 
expectation that a day or two spent in inquiries and 
reading, would enable him to comply with the wishes of 
his hearers, he began to prepare a few pages for the 
press. But he soon found himself involved in an 
expenditure of time and labor even for the meagre 
sketches here presented utterly inconceivable, to one 
who has not himself been enticed into local antiquarian 
researches. But unwilling to abandon what he had 
commenced, he has ransacked old documents, searched 
libraries, employed others to search for him, among 
whom he is specially indebted to Mr. Edwin Hubbard, 
run to and fro, from one " oldest inhabitant" to anoth- 
er, and after all has made a little book, which will 
probably be deemed unsatisfactory, and bearing little 
resemblance to the sermon out of which it sprung, 
except in the homiletic fragments, which may be found 
here and there in it. Although there are few formal 
references to names, books and documents, as authori- 



V PREFACE. 

ties for the statements on the following pages, on 
account of the space which would have been thereby 
filled, yet nothing has been stated for which the writer 
had not the best evidence, accessible to him at the time. 

No one can be more sensible than the compiler, that 
many of the facts here printed, are very insignificant, 
and can have no possible interest out of our own 
neighborhood. Many perhaps will think that he has 
wasted paper and ink on trash ; or on trifles at least. 
But he has inserted nothing but what had some inter- 
est for himself as a citizen of Meriden : and therefore 
he hopes it may gratify the curiosity of his neighbors 
and fellow-citizens. The history of a town like ours, 
must be a history of details ; and transactions which 
seem to be trifles are sometimes the best indications of 
the principles and condition of community. 

As Meriden was not a "town" until 1806, these 
pages embrace an account of the town of which we 
formed a part — Wallingford — until, Meriden became a 
distinct community as an ecclesiastical society, in 1729. 
Hence the reader will observe that the phrase " the 
town," " our town," &c. sometimes includes Wallingford. 

The spelling, punctuation, and capitals, of the old 
documents have been exactly copied, in all those cases 
in which the reader finds any deviation from our mod' 
ern modes of writing. 

The Map is a mere Outline, only designed to show 
distinctly how few and feeble were the settlements ia 
Connecticut, when Wallingford was settled. 



SKETCHES, &C, 



Psalms 80 : 8, 9, 10. Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt, 
thou hast cast out the heathen and planted it. Thou preparedst 
room before it and didst cause it to take deep root and it tilled the 
land : the hills were covered with the shadovi^ of it, and the boughs 
thereof were like the goodly cedars. 

This brief and graphic sketch of Judea, is truthfully 
descriptive of the origin and growth of New England. 
Feeble at first like a transplanted vine, with a strug- 
gling and precarious existence, it has grown up to a 
strength, wealth and power, which neither friends nor 
enemies dreamed of The history of each town is but 
a miniature copy of the history of the whole. 
Beginning in poverty, feebleness and hardship, many 
of these little territories have arrived at a degree of 
prosperity and improvement, in strong contrast with 
their early insignificance. To these facts my own 
mind always reverts with deep interest and grateful 
emotions. I have thought therefore, that I could not 
supply your minds with materials of more pleasant 
recollections, nor with better incentives to devout 
Thanksgiving this day, than by sketching the early 
history of our town. The latitude in the selection of 
topics usually allowed to the pulpit on occasions like 
these must be my apology for the introduction of some 
matters, not appropriate to the Sabbath; 



/ FLRCHASE OF LNDIAN LANDS. 

Before the settlement of the white men, our town, 
of course, like all other parts of America was occupied 
or claimed by the Indians who lived or hunted here. 
My narrative will therefore naturally commence with 
tracing the transfer of these lands to the original 
white inhabitants. 

Purchase of Indiah Lands. 

Tliat part of our town which lies south of a line 
drawn east and west through the village of West 
Meriden, was very early purchased of the Indians, by 
the original settlers of New Haven. It appears that 
these settlers, in 1638, bought of '• Momaugiu, the 
Indian Sachem of Quinopiocke" and others of his 
council, the tract of land on wliich New Haven now 
stands, extending several miles to the northward,* and 
embracing probably North Haven, also. In the same 
year 1G38, they bought of "Mantowese, living at 
Mattabesick" — [or as it is usually spelt, Mattabesitt, 
being the tribe then living at and about the present 
city of Middletown,] '• the land on both sides the river 
Quinnypiock, from the northerly bound of the land 
lately purchased by the said English of the Quinny- 
piock Indians, [i. e. extending northward from about 
the present limits of North Haven] to the head of the 
river at the great plain [probably Hanover] towards 
the plantation settled by the English upon the river 



* Original Deed quoted at length, " Bacon's Historical I>»s- 



PURCHASE OF INDIAN LANDS. 8 

of Quinticutt, which is about ten miles in length from 
north to south,"* [i. e. was to extend ten miles north 
from North Haven, towards Hartford on the Con- 
necticut.] 

It thus appears that the territory originally called 
New Haven, was about ten miles wide, and twenty 
miles long, extending from the sound to just about the 
point where the village of West Meriden now stands, 
and embracing the present towns of New Haven, 
North Haven, Wallingford, and parts of Cheshire and 
Meriden. Subsequently the north half of this twenty 
mile tract was set off, as Wallingford. 

As we hear much said of the gross frauds and 
wrongs perpetrated by the original white settlers, in 
their pretended purchases of land, from the Indians, 
the true history of these purchases ought to be under- 
stood. It is a well known historical fact, that the 
Indians living upon and west of the Connecticut river, 
had often suffered terrible defeats from the two most 
prominent tribes on their borders, the Pequots and 
Mohawks, and had been indeed grievously oppressed 
and crushed by them. They lived in constant terror 
of these formidable warriors. On this account they 
welcomed the arrival of the English among them. 
Nay, so desirous were they of English settlements on 
their territory that before the first settlement was 
made in the state a deputation of Indians appeared in 



* Bacon's Historical Discourses. The deed is there copied at 
length. 



9 PUILCHASi: OF INDIAN LANDS. 

Massachusetts,* requesting the people of thai state to 
send a colony and form a plantation among them in 
Connecticut. So in one of the deeds referred to, it is 
expressly stated as a reason why they give the deed 
and wish the ^purchasers to settle among theni^ " re- 
membering the heavy taxes and imVninent dangers 
lately felt and feared from the Pequots, Mohawks and 
other Indians in regard of which they durst not stay 
in their country, but were forced to flee and seek shel- 
ter among the English, and observing the safety and 
ease that other Indians enjoy, near the English, of 
which benefits they have a comfortable taste already, 
which with all thankfulness they now acknowledge, 
they grant," &c., &c., &c. 

In this part of the country then, the original settlers 
were not intruders. It is true that the price or con- 
sideration paid for these lands was inconsiderable, 
when viewed from our stand point. For in one of the 
deeds alluded to, for a tract as large as Wallingford, 
Mantowese says "he is satisfied with twelve coats," 
and only wishes to reserve a small piece of land " for 
hie small company being but ten men in number be- 
sides women and children." But the real value of the 
lands was then small ; and the actual settlements of 
the English among them, were alone sufficient compen- 
sation for the territory they occupied. 

It further appears from the documents which I have 



* An account of this affair in Trumbull's history of Connecticut, 
chap. 2 ; also, chap. 6. Also in Winthrop's Journal. 



ABORIGINAL INHABITANTS. lO 

examined, that the lands in many instances were bought 
and paid for, several times over. If, after any particular 
tract had been purchased, some sachem or trib6 
appeared with a claim to the same land, that 
title also was bought out, and if again other 
claimants appeared, the purchase was still made again. 
Part of Meriden was thus bought again and again. 
And in 1670, thirty-four years after the city of Hart- 
ford had been bought of the Indians, and had become 
populous, there arising some dispute about the title, 
the lands in Hartford were bought over again. The 
documents illustrative of this fact are too long for 
insertion here, but they are on record. So far were 
our ancestors from defrauding or wronging the original 
inhabitants out of these lands. 

Aboriginal Inhabitants. 

It thus appears that the south half of Meriden, was 
originally occupied or rather claimed by a little band 
of Mattabesitt Indians, not more than fifty in number, 
all told, and was sold to the original proprietors of 
New Haven, in 1638. 

The north half of Meriden, was also claimed by 
portions of the same tribe, as I think. For when 
Farmington was settled by the English there was a 
band of the Mattabesitt tribe, in the south-east part 
of that town, probably near to Kensington. A glance 
at the map will show any one that the tribe which 
owned the territory at Middletown and Kensington , 



U ORICLN OF TILE NAME. 

and the south part of Meriden, must unquestionably 
have owned the north part of Meriden, also. It is not 
probable however that the tract of country embraced 
within the present limits of our town, was ever occu- 
pied by any Indian village. They usually selected the 
banks of rivers, where there were conveniences for 
fishing and rich alluvial meadows for cultivation — as 
the sites of their villages and forts. Accordingly we 
find them on the rivers " Tunxis" and " Quintecutt" 
in great numbers, while the hilly, broken country like 
ours, was used by them merely for hunting purposes. 
Deer and all kinds of game were plentiful among our 
hills and swamps ; and there are several places, in our 
town, as at the outlet of Black Pond, where there are 
indications of beaver, the logs and sticks used for their 
dams and huts, being still found embedded and pre- 
served in the black earth, with the marks of their 
teeth still upon them. 

At the time of the settlement of New Haven, Smo- 
heag was the great Sachem of the Mattabesitt tribe. 
He had a fort or capital at Middletown, on the high 
ground near the " narrows," by the river, and, his pow- 
er extended over Middletown, Wallingford and Meri- 
den, and small portions of towns adjoining thereto. 

Origin of the Name. 

But the whole country between Hartford and New 
Haven, though portions of it were embraced within the 
nominal limits of towns, does not appear to have been 



ORIGIN OP THE NAME. 12 

occupied with settlers for many years. A road was 
indeed cut very early between those two settlements, 
being the identical road passing through our town, and 
which we now term the '• the old road." So early was 
it cut through the wilderness, that as early as 1670, 
180 years ago in an old legislative grant it was called 
" the old road, to New Haven."* But we have no evi- 
dence that for thirty years, there was a solitary house 
or settlement on the road. 

But within this period, certain localities had acquir- 
ed fixed and well-known names. The spot on which 
our village stands, was called " Pilgrim's Harbor," in 
an Indian deed of 1664.t There can be no reasonable 
doubt of the correctness of the following tradition ; 
universally current, among the old residents of our 
town. When Charles 2d, came to the throne in 1660, 
those who had been engaged in dethroning and execut- 
ing his father were compelled to flee. Some of them 
were concealed for a time in and near New Haven, but 
being in danger from the king's officers, fled to Massa- 
chusetts. On their journey up this road, they encamped 
on or near this spot for several days, it then being a 
swampy, tangled wilderness, well fitted for concealment. 
The place thence-forward as having afforded shelter or 
harhoi' to these men — ^who though denounced at home 
as regicides, were honored by our fathers as noble 
patriots — was called " Pilgrim's Harbor.'' 

* See Appendix, Ko. 4 
t ^ee A^ppeirdtx, No. 1. 



\di ORIGIN OP THE KAMJ2. 

A8 early also as 1664, another locality lying north- 
ward of our village several miles ^as called Mcrideen ; 
Meridan, or Meridon.* For as early as that, an Indian 
deed conveying a large tract of land, describes it, or 
the locality about it, as " intitled and known by the 
name of Merrideen." 'Subsequent documents,! speak 
of land as lying between Pilgrim's Harbor and Merri- 
dan. Long before there were any settlements on this 
territory, and as early as there was any house, we find 
the name Merrideen or Meriden. 

The origin of the name is involved in some dispute. 
There is a tradition that the word is compounded of 
two words, " merry" and " den :" and that in an old 
stone house built up there in that locality, there were 
so many merry meetings of travellers, that the place 
acquired the nickname of Merry-den. But I am 
inclined to reject this derivation for reasons which will 
presently appear. It appears that one Mr. Belcher, 
very early, but how early we cannot precisely ascertain, 
had a grant of a large tract of land lying on our pres" 
ent northern border. Whether this was a colonial 
grant or a royal grant, we do not know, for no trace of 
deed or grant can be found in the state records or town 
records. This Mr. Belcher built a stone house, on that 
tract and very near the spot now occupied by the house 
gf Mr. Sidney Merriam, which old stone house served 
as a tavern for the very few travellers who journeyed 
through the wilderness then lying between Hartford 

* See Appendix, No. 1, t See Appendix, No^ 9. 



ORIGIN OF THE KAME. 14 

and New Haven, and was also built strong enough to 
resist the attacks of the Indians. The foundations of 
that old house were ploughed up a few years ago, by 
Mr. Merriam ; and the remains of the cellar or vault 
used as a powder magazine, are still visible. 

We also know that the names of nearly all our towns 
were borrowed from England, the emigrants and set- 
tlers, with a very natural feeling transferring to 
America, the appellations so familiar and dear to them 
in their own country. For Cotton Mather remarks, 
" there are few of our towns, but what have their 
namesakes in England," and the Legislature in the 
preamble to an act, concerning New London^ assign as 
a reason for giving that name to the town, " whereas it 
hath been the commendable practice of all the colonies 
in these parts to give names to these plantations of 
soine cities and toiviis in Englaml.'''' 

It would be very natural, and almost certain there- 
fore that Mr, Belcher in building a house midway 
between two growing cities, and on a fine tract of 
land, where from all analogy he might expect a village 
ultimately to grow up — to give it a name, and a name 
derived from England. Now we know that there is, 
or was a village in England called Meriden, for in an 
old English Gazetteer, in the Historical Library at 
Hartford, we are told : " Meriden or Mireden, 97 
miles from London, near Coventry. There is an inn 
here, one of the first in this part of England, being 
built like a nobleman's seat." As Mr. Belcher built 



15 EARLY settlemt:nt. 

this stone house as early as 1664, as we find the name 
Meriden applied to the locality on which the house stood 
as early as the house was built, as Meriden in England, 
was distinguished for its beautiful tavern, and as Mr. 
Belcher's stone tavern, was an unusually substantial 
and costly building for that period, there can be no 
reasonable doubt, that he gave the name to the north 
part of the town ; which name was naturally transfer- 
red to the settlements which sprung up around it. 

This derivation of our name seems far more probable 
than any other. For the word Meriden is evidently 
not of Indian origin. Moreover the name is given and 
applied in deeds, immediately — as far as we know — 
after the erection of the house, and before it could have 
acquired notoriety and a nickname, from the revelries 
practised there. It usually requires a long time for 
such kind of names to gain foothold. Moreover, the 
number of travellers there was venj small^ and their 
general character of that grave and even austere kind, 
that we may be sure that so far as their conduct was 
concerned, the house would be more likely to acquire 
the name of " the praying house," than the " den of 
merriment." 

Early Settlement. 

As our town, originally, and for many years consti- 
tuted a part of the town of "Wallingford, I shall 
commence my narrative with the history of that place. 
In the year 1670, the first eettlement was made at 



EARLt SETTLEMENT. 16 

Wallingford, At that time Hartford and New Haven 
had been settled about 35 years and the whole popula- 
tion within the territory now called Connecticut was 
about 1 0,000. But as the whole process of commencing 
and carrying on the settlement of a new town, or a 
^'' plantatiorC — which was the term most commonly 
used — ^was very different from our modern processes, I 
will try to make the various steps intelligible. 

It has already been stated that the original settlers 
of New Haven in their corporate capacity, owned the 
whole tract from the sound up to the present village of 
West Meriden, which tract was about twenty miles 
long and ten broad. But when the increase of popu- 
lation seemed to render it necessary to push settlements 
further into the interior upon the unoccupied lands, 
they did not sell out farms to such individuals as chose 
to buy, and allow matters of this kind to take what we 
should perhaps call the natural course. They proceeded 
in a much more orderly manner. 

The people of New Haven, in their corporate 
capacity and in public meeting, voted to set off a certain 
portion of their territory to constitute a " village" or 
" plantation." The territory thus set off was to extend 
southward from the point where the " old road to New 
Haven goeth over Pilgrim's Harbor," ten miles, and 
to extend five miles each side of the Quinnipiock 
river."* The town next appointed a Committee, in 
whose hands they vested the title to the whole land 

* See Appendix, No. 4 Colony grant. 



17 EARLY SETTLEMENT. 

embraced within the limits of the new plantation, 
which Committee were to admit settlers and divide 
the lands among them, on certain stipulated conditions, 
and were to have the entire control of the affairs of 
the plantation, until the settlement had so far proceed- 
ed, that the " planters" themselves should assume all 
municipal powers. This Committee then received 
applications from such as chose to commence a new 
settlement and selected those who in their opinion 
were best qualified for the work. The persons thus 
selected, mutually covenanted with each other and 
with the said Committee to observe certain rules and 
conditions, in a written agreement to which their sig- 
natures were affixed.* 

The Committee then proceeded to select a site for 
the proposed village, which location is described, as 
being " upon the hill, on the east side of the great 
plain commonly called New Haven plain," which will 
be at once recognized as the spot on which the present 
village of Walliugford stands. They then allotted to 
each planter a few acres of land for a building spot 
and a home lot, " beginning at the south-east of said 
hill." Having laid out the south part of the village, 
then '' next to the aforesaid house lots it is ordered 
that there shall be a highway crosse the hill, from 
east to west of six rods broade, [being the road, now 
leading from the Rail Road by the Congregational 

* See Appendix, No. 6 and 7, where the action of the Commit- 
tee, and the written covenant of the planters, are given in full 
from the original records. 



ALLOTMENTS OF LAND. 18 

Church, to the main street,] and from thence a long 
highway of six rods broade on the top of the hill to 
run northward, [being the north part of the present 
main street of Wallingford,] and on each side of itt to 
ranges of house lotts of six acres to a lott ; and these 
lotts to be distributed." 

Allotments of Land. 

After the planters had received their respective 
allotments, built their houses, and had assumed the 
form of a regular and settled community, then the 
Committee, who had arranged all the preliminaries and 
incipient stages of the new " plantation" surrendered 
all their power, and the title to the whole territory, 
into the hands of the "planters," who thereby became, 
a corporate body, — in other words, a town. The land 
within the town limits, became thus the property of 
the town as a corporate body ; to be by them disposed 
of in such ways and to such persons as they might 
deem fit. One of their first acts was the allotment of 
certain portions of meadow and woodland to each planter 
at convenient distances from the village ; which appro- 
priations constituted the farms and private property of 
such individuals respectively. The land lying on the riv- 
er as best adapted to their purposes was first used, and 
described as " the lotts on the river called, New Haven 
east river, that are layd out to severall of the inhabi- 
tants as meddow land. They are to begin at the end 
of the hill caled Blew hill, where it comes to the river, 



(9 HOW KKW S£7TLER3 WEBS ADUITTED. 

and so to run upward tlie river." At this first 
apportionment of land, thirty-eight lots were given 
out to as many individuals or families ; some receiving 
eight; and some twelve acres. 

In these various transfers of the land, from the town 
of New Haven, and from them to the Committee, 
thence to the associated planters, and ultimately to 
individual proprietors, no money or consideration of 
any kind was paid. The land was worth literally 
nothing ; until actually settled and cleared. 

How NEW Settlers were Admitted. 

It would naturally occur that after the settlement 
was commenced, other individuals in addition to the 
original " planters" would desire to become residents 
in the town. Such an one was not expected, nor even 
allowed to buy any wild land. He was to make 
application to the town, both for permission to live in 
the town, and for a gratuitous allotment of land. The 
town in public meeting considered such a request and 
referred it to a Committee for consideration. That 
Committee after examining the testimonials which the 
applicant could produce touching his character, recom- 
mended a compliance with his request, if such 
testimonials were satisfactory. Accordingly we find in 
the records, many votes similar to the following. 

«I2th Feb. 1671. Agreed by y« Comitee fory« 
Towne of Wallingford that Isack Rise, and Nehimia 
Rise, shall have lotts granted y "^ provided they procure 



HOW NEW SETTLERS WERE ADMITTED. 20 

suficient testamoney of theyr good conversation in the 
place whear they formerly lived." 

So careful were they in guarding the character of 
their new settlement, that even the land which was 
appropriated to individuals as their private property, 
was held under this condition, that no sale was to be 
made to any stranger, until the character of the proposed 
purchaser had also been examined and approved by 
the town, and leave granted by express vote of the 
town, for such transfer of land. Thus we find on the 
town records frequent entries like the following. 

« 23d Feb. 1677. The towne gave liberty to Nath'l 
Hickcok to sell his accomodation to any such men as 
y ** towne shall approve of" 

"20th Oct. 1674 voted that Good" Foote shall have 
liberty to buy the lott, y^ is Joseph Eives provided he 
procure sufl&cient teastimony of his good conversation 
in y® plase wheare he now pretendethto remove." 

Next January, we find "the teastimony for Goo^ 
foote being sevesente and axepted, he was admited & 
planter upon the lott that was Joseph eives." 

Not only were those who wished to become perma- 
nent residents, necessitated to make application to the 
town, before they could receive an allotment of the pub- 
lic land, or be allowed to buy out a previous settler ; 
but even temporary residents must obtain permission 
to sojourn for a time, within the town limits. For we 
find on the records votes similar to the one her© 
copied. 



21 ADDITIOKAL ALLOTMENTS. 

"Sep. 1678. The towne gave liberty to Isack 
Curtice to abide in the town as a sojourner." 

Additional Allotments. 

From time to time as families became larger, and 
individuals became able to bring more land under cul- 
tivation, additional allotments of the wild lands were 
made by town vote, to each planter. At various times 
there were " divisions," in this manner made, ui>til the 
whole territory was occupied. In arranging these 
divisions, the whole population was classed into three 
" ranks," as indicated in the following vote, according 
to their ability to pay taxes. In all assessments, the 
first rank paid double the amount of tax charged on 
the " loest" rank, and one-third more than the middle 
rank, and in the divisions of land the allotments were* 
made out in the same ratio, as appears by this and 
other similar votes. 

In June, 1673. Voted, "that there shall be alowed' 
for the first division of lands to each planter taking in' 
liouse lotts, river lotts, and all sorts of land, to the 
loest rank 40 acres ; to the middle ranke, 60 acres, and 
to the hiest ranke 80 acres, and so to keep for the 
present." 

FiRs:r Acts of the Town. 

Arrangements having been made in the year 1669, 
in the spring of 1670, the emigrants commenced their 
settlement on the spot already described, being the 



FIRST ACTS OF TK£ TOWN. 22 

site of the present village of Wallingford.* The 
company consisted of about one hundred persons, men, 
women and children. Instead of scattering themselves 
on farms, as is now usual in new settlements, they 
erected their humble dwellings in a compact village. 
This arrangement, though inconvenient for an agricul- 
tural population, was necessary for defence, and safety 
in those perilous times, when savage wars, and the 
irregular incursions of the Indians were so frequent. 

With the true spirit of New Englanders, they at 
once secured for themselves religious institutions and 
public worship. Though necessarily pressed with the 
excessive labor of erecting their own houses, and 
clearing away a hea"v^^ forest, to procure some land for 
cultivation, and the great expense involved therein, yet 
this little band had from the first, the stated preaching 
of the Gospel. For two years, one Mr. Harriman 
preached on the Sabbath, He was not a regularly or- 
dained pastor, but was probably an " elder," a Church 
ofiicer of that day who was appointed to discharge 
certain duties in the Church, and was authorised to 
preach, in case of the sickness or absence of the pastor. 
But they designed to secure the services of an ordained 



* At that time, the whole population of the State was about 
10,000 and settlements had been commenced in the lollowing 
towns, Hartford, Wethersfield, Windsor, Farmington, Saybrook , 
Middletown, Lyme, Milford, Guilford, Fairfield, Norwalk, Stam- 
ford, New Haven, New London, Norwich, Branford, Greenwich, 
and Haddam. The rest of the State was a wilderness, inhabited 
by Indians. See the Map, representing the settled and nnssttlad 
parts of Connecticut, iii 1670. 



28 nitST ACTS OF THE TOWN. 

minister, as soon as one could be found, and the first 
tax ever imposed in the town was for this purpose. 

The vote stands thus : "April 21, 1671. It was 
voated for the incouragment of any fitt person 
whose hart god may stire up to be helpfull in the 
ministrcy, tliat what some soever shall be Reqisitt 
to the attaining such a man shall be raysed for this 
present yeare according to every man's proportion of 
land allotted to him on the river : the twelve acre lotts 
to pay 30/ and the eight acre lott3 to pay 20/." 

This tax was not only a heavy one in itself to per- 
sons in their circumstances, but pressed still heavier 
from a fact, the nature of which we at this day, can 
hardly appreciate; the almost entire destitution of 
money, or circulating medium. So scanty was the 
amount of gold and silver, that even as late as 1706, 
Trumbull asserts that " the whole circulating cash [in 
the state] was not more than £2000." In 1670, there 
must of course have been still less : and all taxes and 
debts must have pressed therefore with almost intoler- 
able weight, except when payable in something else 
than gold and silver ; Banks, then had no existence. 
We find on the early records accordingly very many 
votes, authorising payments to be made in various 
kinds of produce. As the New Haven people traded 
some with the West Indies, one common mode oi 
raising funds was from hoops and staves, materials for 
which abounded in our woods and swamps, and for 
which there was then as now, a great demand, in the 



SETTLEMENT OF MR. STREET. 24 

islands. These were taken to New Haven, and sold to 
the merchants. Thus we find in relation to this first 
tax it was voted that 

" John Mosse and three others, ingage to provide 
and deliver 1500 good Marchantable pipe staves and 
deliver them at the place called logmine wharfe," 
" and others to pay their proportion in the like manner, 
in some other good pay." 

Settlement of Mr. Street. 

In the year 1672, Rev. Mr. Street, a regularly or- 
dained pastor, was invited to settle among them ; and 
complied with the request. It may help convey some 
idea of the state of things at that time to mention 
that after Mr. Street had consented to become their 
minister, two Committees were appointed ; one was to 
see that Mr. Street's goods were brought from New 
Haven and " landed}^ at some convenient place, the 
other to see that they were thence " cartedJ'' up to 
Wallingford. To us this seems to indicate a curious 
mode of intercourse between the two towns. But then 
owing to the state of the roads, it was no doubt easiest 
to send the goods from New Haven harbor, up the 
Quinnipiack river, as far perhaps as North Haven, and 
from thence by land to Wallingford. 

It may serve also to convey some idea of the char- 
acter of the people, that in 1673, when their own poor 
dwellings were hardly erected, and they were strug- 



S5 rORWATION OF TlIK CHURCH. 

gHn<:r with all the untold difficulties of a wilderness, 
iind when their whole number, men, women and 
children, hardly exceeded one hundred, they voted to 
build a house for their minister and to pay him a salary 
of £50. If our western settlements now had as much 
courage and energy, we should have small need of 
Home Missionary Societies. 

Formation of the Church. 

Although from the first week of their settlement, 
regular worship had been maintained, and a regular 
pastor had been supported by the people; yet no 
Church was organized. In this transaction they pro- 
ceeded with all the deliberation w^hich the reader of 
our early histories will remember was characteristic of 
the original settlers of New Haven, and vicinity. In 
the year 1675, Feb. 3d after there had been ample 
time for the inhabitants to become acquainted with 
each other's religious views and feelings, a day of fast- 
ing and prayer was observed, with reference to the 
organization of a Church. On the 15th of the same 
month, the inhabitants again met ; designated thirteen 
of their number, to "lay the foundation"' — that is, to 
constitute by the due mode of organization, the Church. 
These thirteen, thus constituting the Church, were 
then to admit others, by the ordinary course of exam- 
ination and profession. 

The record of this transaction is worthy of insertion 
here. 



FORMATION OF THE CHURCH. 26 

'•At a lawful meeting the inhabitants of the town of 
"Wallingford and upon the 15th day of the 2d month, 
1675, it was ordered and enacted by the town, that as 
there had been conference about establishing a Church 
of Christ, in the aforesaid town, and also a solemn fast 
set apart and celebrated by the town unanimously to 
seek Grod's guidance in so great a work, they have now 
also freely and unanimously concluded if it be the 
will of God, that there shall be a Church of Christ 
gathered to walk according to the Congregational way, 
and have also all freely and unanimously left the 
management of the same in the hands of the persons 
whose names are underwritten, that if it be the will of 
God to incline their hearts, so many of them as may 
be a competent number for that work, may in his time, 
lay the foundation. 

" Mr. Moss, Lieut. Merriam, Eliasaph Preston, 

Mr. Sam'l Street, Serg't Doolittle, .Tohn Hall, Sen'r, 
Mr. Brockett, John Beach, John Hall, Jr , 

Thomas Yale, Nehemiah Royce, Nathan Andrews, 
Benj. Lewis." 

They had as yet no house of worship. They hardly 
needed one, for their numbers were so email that they 
could without muchinconvenience assemble in a private 
house. For ten years they met on the Sabbath, in one 
of the houses of the village, and paid the proprietor 
forty shillings annually for the use of his dwelling. 
One reason however of this delay in erecting a 
"meeting house" must probably be found in the dan- 



27 KING Phillip's war. 

ger, alarm, and the impoverisliing effect of the famous 
Indian war of that period, usually called 

"King Phillip's War." 

A distinguished Indian Sachem of this name had 
formed a coalition of nearly all the Indian tribes in 
Massachusetts, Khode Island and Connecticut, for the 
purpose of exterminating the white inhabitants. At 
that time they might hope to effect this ; for there 
were only about 35,000 white inhabitants in all New 
England, and they were scattered over hundreds of 
miles of territory. The Indians were more numerous, 
very ferocious and warlike, and exasperated by the 
alleged encroachments on their rights. As the two 
races lived in close proximity, each man might expect 
the war at his own door. For a time,the conflict raged 
with terrible ^slaughter in the eastern parts of New 
England ; great numbers of the whites were killed, 
towns burned and laid waste, and universal panic 
spread over the country. The war terminated with 
the death of Phillip, in 1676. But the derangement 
of business, and the heavy taxation consequent on the 
expenses of the war, impoverished the population, and 
pressed heavily on the new settlement at "VYallingford, 
Though no battle was fought near them, yet they wer^ 
kept in a constant state of alarm, which greatly hin- 
dered their agricultural operations and were compelled 
to fortify and garrison their little village, as if actually 



28 

in a state of seige. Their position may be inferred 
from the following votes. 

"27 Aug. 1675. In respect of the present dainger 
of ye Indians itt was ordered that the inhabitants se- 
cure themselves and the principall of theyr goods by 
fortifiing about too houses." 

" Also that evrie man bring his armes and amunition 
compleat on the saboth day that he may be able in a 
fitt posture to doe service if need reqire." 

'' That select gaurd serve as sentinells on y* Saboth, 
and y*^ rest of the town ward 4 men every Saboth and 
2 every weeke day : that they begin to ward when the 
watch breaks up and hould on till y* watch be sett 
again : that they begin and end, at the dawning and^ 
shutting in of day." 

" 15 Oct. 1675. That those persons at the end of 
the town if they see cause to fortifie on of theyr hous- 
es which they can agree upon for theyr saftie in these 
times of dainger what theyr full charg is shall be de- 
fraied out of y^ town's tresury." 

" Also that any that are willing to be asistant to mak 
too flankers att Left* Merriman's barne, shall have due 
reoompens out of y® towne treasurie." 

Their mode of " fortifying a house," appears to have 
been this. At a small distance from the house, — ten 
feet perhaps — and all around it a log wall was erected, 
with the ends of the logs dove-tailed into each other 
at the corners, and carrie'd up to ten or twelve feet in 
height, with such openings as might suffice for pointing 



29 A HOUSE OF WOKSHIP. 

mutjkcts at an attacking enemy. Such erections, were 
ample protection against any strength which the 
Indians were able to exert 

A House of Worship. 

Having recovered somewhat from the depression and 
impoverishment consequent on the war, we find them with 
true New England conscientiousness and public spirit, 
at work upon their Church and School. In 1679, they 
voted to build a " meeting house," twenty-eight feet 
long; twenty-four feet wide, and ten feet high, a build- 
ing which now would be considered small for a district 
school house. But even this small house, they were 
not able to complete for several years, for in 1681, 
they voted to "go on and finish the house." Great 
must have been their poverty, when with all their high 
estimate of the value of religious institutions, and 
when we know that nothing but absolute inability, could 
have prevented the most ample accommodations for 
their Church — we find their whole united means, inad* 
equate to build and finish a house, which now almost 
any single journeyman, could build out of his own 
resources. But as their population and wealth 
increased, we find the house of worship grows also. 
For in 1690, they enlarged the house, and made it 
foity feet long by twenty-eight feet wide, as their pop- 
ulation had increased to seventy-three families. The 
next year, 1691, the inmle of the house was completed, 
for at that date we find a vote for '^ ceiling the house " 



SETTLEMENT OF MR. WHITTLESEY. 30 

the interior having remained twelve years, rough and 
unlSnished. This same year, 1691, the town voted 
that " two pews, should be built," an indication of 
growth, and even of luxury : for hitherto, the whole 
area of the house had been occupied with long seats, 
where all persons sat indiscriminately, except that the 
men and boys were on one side of the house, while the 
females in the Congregation sat on the other side. 
It is quite likely that some of the good people of that 
day, were quite shocked at the extravagance, pride and 
degeneracy developed by the innovation of pews. But 
growth and change kept on their course, for under 
date of April 30, 1706, we find " the town chose Deken 
Hall, Samuel Roys, and goodman Culvert, a commetee 
to procure workmen to come and buld gallers for the 
In largment of the meeting hous." 

Settlement of Mr. Whittlesey. 

Mr. Street was pastor of the Church for about thirty- 
six years. But as he became unable to perform the 
duties of his office, it became necessary to provide a 
successor. The forethought and action of the people 
in the matter are set forth in the following votes. 

"July 26, 1708. The town voted that they appre- 
hended it was their duty to take care and Lock out to 
geat an other minester." 

" The town voted that they would chouse a comme- 
tie to seeke out and to take the advice for the procuring 
and bring in a minester to seatle in the place." 
5 



51 StTTLEMENT OF MH. WIlITTLESKt. 

Under tliese instructions the Committee invited Mf. 
Whittlesey to preack The people being satisfied with 
his labors, invited him to become their pastor. The 
letter in which the call was communicated seems on 
various accounts worthy to be inserted entire. An 
exact copy of it is therefore given from the 

Wallingfcn'd Town Records. 

" Mr. Whittlesey, Sur. The subscribers hereof being 
a committe appointed and empowered by the town of 
Wallingford as may appear by their record bearing 
date April 4, 1 709 ; to treat with yourself in order to 
a settlement with us in the ministry, and for your in- 
couragement to comply with us therein doe propose to 
make such grants of Lands and other incouragements 
following — first we doe give and grant to you the said 
Mr. Samuel Whittlesey, a six acar lott of land lying 
neare the meting house ; and one acar and a half of 
the west end Beaken John Hall's home lott for a 
building lott, to be bought for you : also a peace of 
Land at south ward side the Leatel quarter one the 
hill on which the town stands fifteen acars ; and seaven 
acars of pasture land on the north side of Nath'l Ives 
home lott : also a meadow lott of land in the common 
field on the west side of the river of twenty acars and 
known by the name of the parsonage ; and fore acars ^ 
of plaine in the same field called the town lott, also a 
farm of one hundred and fifty acars of Land attJ 



SETTLEMENT OF MR. WHITTLESEY. 32 

Pilgrim's Harbor called tlie *town farm with all the 
im laid outt land adjoining, and one hundred pound 
right in commonage and in all undivided land, all 
which shall be to the said Mr. Sam'l Whittlesey, his 
heirs, executors and administrators and assigns for 
ever, as an estate of inheritance in fee simple : Like- 
wise the said committe do agree to build a house for 
the s'd Mr. Sam'll Whittlesey of forty-two feets in 
Length and twenty feets in breadth, tow stories hye, 
with a porch and a back kitching and finish it deasant- 
ly the said Mr. Samuel Whittlesey to provide glass 
and nales : which house is to be soe built within tow 
years : the s'd committe doth farther agree that the 
said Mr. Whittlesey shall have a Sallery of Seaventy 
pound a yeare for the tow first years and the thurd 
yeare eighty pound and One hundred pound a yeare 
ever after, soe long as he carrieth on the work 
of the ministry: which Sallery shall be paid in 
wheat at five shillings par bushel, rye at three shillings 
sixpence par bushel, indian corne at two shillings six- 
pence par bushel, pork at threepence farding par pound, 
and if it soe fall out that there doth not come a suply 
of fire wood yearly to the s'd Mr. Whittlesey by par- 
sons appearing to doe it gratis, then the town are 



* This town farm, was set apart by the town about the year 
1684. It lay on the north side of the river near Hanover, and on 
both sides of Pilgrim's Harbor brook, bounded west by a line on 
the ridge of the hill, now called " town rock,'' and east by the 
hill, which in the old records is called " milking yard hill:" the 
north line must have been near the southern boundary of the 
larms of Mr. Calvin Coe, and Mr. Ezekicl Rice. 



33 THE NEW HOUSE. 

obliged to take the care, and find him his wood in some 
other way — but if the providence of God should so 
order that the said Mr. Sam'll Whittlesey dye leaving 
no male Hare that is a natural issue of his bodye, then 
the six acar lott by the meeting house, and the meadow 
lott called the parsonage to returne to the town againe, 
to the true and honest intent and parformans of the 
preameses we the before named committie have sett 
our names, 

" Thomas Yale, John Hall, sr. 

Samuel Hall, John Meariman, 

Thomas Curtis, John Hall." 

John Parker, 
Mr. Whittlesey accepted the call, and continued to 
be the pastor for many years. 

The New House. 

The old house with its " two pews," and " gallers" 
could not well contain the growing population, for 
some of the hearers, had to put up with rather incon- 
venient Church accommodations. But of these they 
were cut short by the following peremptory and rather 
uncourteous vote of the town in 1716 : "ordered that 
the alleys in the meeting house be cleared of chairs 
and stools, and the constable see that it be done." 
Where the occupants of these "chairs and stools" 
bestowed themselves after this unceremonious eject- 
ment we do not know : but it is quite probable that 
they agitata efiectually the project of a new and 



THE KEW HOUSS. 34 

better house, for in a few months we find a new Churoh 
edifice in progress. In Jan. 13, 1717, the town vot^d 
" that they thought it was their duty to begin a new 
meeting house, and the form of the house to be like 
gilford meeting house." Preparations were going 
forward during the whole of the year, and in 1718, the 
house was raised, and it was '• voted that the metting 
hous floure shall be layed withgood single Boards well 
Rabbited," — also " the town voated that the metting 
hous shall have pues maid all round it and y® rest of 
ye hous shall be long seats." This last vote indicates 
the further increase of luxurious habits, inasmuch as 
the " two pews" of the old liouse were multiplied into 
a whole range of " pues," built all around the sides of 
the new house. The next vote illustrates what has 
been already stated of the mode of raising funds, for 
" April 28, 1719, the Town voated yt they wound git 
so many staves as will load a vessell and they chose 
Capt. Hall to make a bargain for y*' town in y^ Dispos- 
al! of y® staves, they obliged themselves to git : — in 
buying glass and nales — and promise to indemnifie 
hall from any damages thereb}' if he shall nead io 
stand or give bonds." The house was completed and 
occupied in 1720. It was a large house with two tiers 
of galleries, one above the other, somewhat in the 
manner of a theatre, a mode of building Churches 
quite common during the last century. The upper 
gallery was of course very high, and as its occupants 
were almost entirely out of eight, in fumiehed an ad- 



^ii DIGXirVING THE NEW IIOI'SE. 

mirable place for boys to cluster together and play. 
Even in the old house it had been found necessary to 
" vote that Eliazur Peck be desired to looke to y^ boyes 
on y« saboth that they keep good order at meeting." 
In the new house they found it necessary to deny the 
boys admission altogether into so tempting a place as 
the upper gallery, for in " April 25, 1721, voated that 
no young man shall go up into tlie uper gallery to sett 
there on the Saboth day under eighteen yeare old." 

Dignifying the new House. 

The present custom of renting tlio seats in Churches 
was then unknown ; and in the new house, there would 
be quite a choice between the " pues" and the "long 
seats." In order to arrange or prevent all disputes for 
precedence in the matter, a Committee was appointed 
" to dignify and seat the meeting house." In assigning 
seats to the respective individuals and families, this 
Committee were enjoined by vote "to respect the aged 
who had been serviceable to the town," and also, " to 
have respect to those who had borne commissions." 
After giving the best seats to these dignitaries, they 
were instructed to have "this general rule for seating 
the meeting hous, viz : the lists, on which the charges 
are raised." If a plan had been devised for creating 
and perpetuating envy, jealousy an^ pride, no more 
ingenious scheme could have been invented for that 
purpose, than this attempt to arrange people in the 
house of God, every Sabbath day, according to their 



SINGING. 36 

wealth and supposed rank. Many an individual, 
would probably form quite a different estimate of bis 
" dignity" from tbe Comrnittee. AVhat feelings were 
engendered have been bowever forgotten, except we 
learn that one man to whom was assigned a position 
on " the long seats," having made known his grievance, 
had redress as follows : " the town by their voat gave 
Capt. John Hall, liberty to make him self a pew in 
the new metting hous, near the east Dore, on men's 
side on his own charge." 
A belfry was built in 1 727. 

Singing. 

We find no allusion whatever to the singing in pub- 
lic worship. It is almost certain that the old puritanical 
custom of " Congregational singing," — as it is called — 
was followed. All who were present in the Church 
were expected to unite in this part of worship, and all 
instruments and choirs, were utterly eschewed. But 
it is quite evident that the young people of that day, 
fond of novelty or improvement, — as it would be dif- 
ferently viewed — after getting into their new Church, 
began to think of other new things, for in 1731, the 
town had before them a petition of certain persons for 
the use of the meeting house, that they might there 
meet and learn to sing. After some demur, the re- 
quest was granted. But alas the wedge of innovation, 
having entered, was fast driven in. Having learned to 
sing, the eingers naturally wished to give the Congre- 



37 SCHOOLS. 

gatiou the benefit of their new acquisitions. This 
disturbed some old habits, and a town meeting was 
convened to hear the complaints of those who could 
not endure " the singing in the new way" as they 
termed it. The matter could not be settled : dispute 
arose, and the meeting adjourned. Another meeting 
was called — and after much debate, the matter was 
compromised by voting " that there should be singing 
on one Sabbath in the old way and on the next Sab- 
bath in the new way, and so on alternately, for six 
weeks." There the curtain drops ; and how long the 
controversy went on, we know not. We hope that the 
disputants are now together singing, 

" Where music flows from countless harps, 
Nor pause, nor discord knows." 

ScHOOLg. 

We find no allusion to schools, on the town records 
until 1678, eight years after the settlement of the town. 
That notice however, evidently shows that a school had 
previously existed ; it is quite probable that here as 
elsewhere, the school and the Church took root together, 
and grew up with the first log cabin in the forest. The 
vote in 1 078 is, "the town leaves the matter of schools 
with the select men, to promote the same according to 
law," and the next month, the selectmen having report- 
ed their opinion : the town vote " to allow for the 
encouragement of such a school master as the select 
xnen shall approve of, ten pounds a year m general, 



SCHOOLS, 38 

and three pence a week for all scholars, from six to six- 
teen, as long as they shall go to school." 

Thus did our predecessors, like all the other founders 
of New England, develope a far-sighted religious 
wisdom, a profound sagacity, which none of the princes 
nor statesmen of this world knew. Tor all possible 
and conceivable ends had the power, blood, and wealth 
of nations been squandered for thousands of years : 
except for the only true ends of the state, the forma- 
tion and elevation of men. The fathers of New 
England designed to raise up religious and intelligent 
men. They alone ever conceived, or at least actually 
carried out the scheme of educating the people. In 
this point of view, the everlasting pyramids, the 
matchless splendors of Babylon, the great master-piece 
of architecture, St. Peters, are less imposing and 
valuable than the log school-houses of primitive New 
England. The world had never yet seen such men, so poor 
that they could not build a hut 24 by 30 feet — so har- 
rassed and perilled by a savage war, that they went to 
their Sabbath worship armed with muskets — while night 
and day their little village was guarded by block houses 
and patrols — and yet in that deep poverty, and from 
their first day in the wilderness, nobly sustaining the 
preaching of the Gospel, and schools, virtually free to 
every child among them. True, as we shall see, these 
early schools were somewhat rude, and we may smile at 
their evident defects. But the germ of New England 
superiority was in them. Our elegant Acad- 
, 6 



89 SCHOOLS. 

emy and highly improved achoole, are but the 
developments and natural growth of the early school 
at Wallingford. 

It is a matter of some interest to know what sums were 
granted for schools. In 1684, the town granted £10 
to the teacher, from the public treasury, and required 
the pupils to pay £5 in addition. In 1689, the town 
voted £5 for a school; the next year £4. In 1691, the 
town voted that all the school money should be raised 
by those who sent to the school. In 1694, they gave 
£6 to the school. In 1698, it was voted that each pu- 
pil should pay a penny a week. In 1702, they voted 
to build a school house, having hitherto hired a room 
for the school. In 1711, fifty acres of land and money 
also, were granted to the teacher. In 1714 each schol- 
ar was to pay 2/ per quarter, in addition to the town 
grant. In 1722 it became necessary to have several 
schools, and the rudiments of school districts begin to 
appear. 

We find no allusion made to any branches of learn- 
ing, except, reading, writing and spelling. It is quite 
probable that for a long time nothing else was taught, 
unless occasionally the rudiments of arithmetic, might 
have been studied. It cannot be denied, that our 
records exhibit some indications of lack of high culture 
both in teachers and pupils, as the following exact 
transcripts will show. 

'■Sep. 18, 1711. At the same Mctting Mr. Henry 



SCHOOLS. 40 

Bats scool Master, gave thes following proposals, 
namely. 

" Grontel Men upon second considerations I doe hear- 
by propose that if y« town for ineoragoment will be 
pleesed to make sure and conferme to me fifty acars of 
land whar i shall see case to take it up and whar it is 
not alredy taken up and let me have to improvement 
of ye old Mill pon so caled and all other lands that 
belongs to the scool and fifty pounds a year for y^ time 
we shall agree upon the town appointing a commity to 
agree with me and all those that sends chilldren to cast 
iu thar mite towards purchaseing a horn sted and upon 
condition i may be 

" yours to serve. 

"HENKY BATES." 

"At y® same meting y© town voatted thar accepttans 
of ye above s'd proposals." 

"Dec. 20, 1713. The town voated yt the mony con- 
serning ye scool, Bespecting chilldren shall be raised 
upon all ye chilldren that live within a Mille and half 
of ye scool hous : from six year old to teen : whether 
they go to scool or nott : And all the children yt go to 
scool and enter ye scool a week shall pay for half a 
year." 

" Chose John Moss and Sam'l Culver inspectors, to 
look after ye scool Meester to see he keeps his bowers." 

"Jan. 13, 1719. The town voated and maid choys 
of leftnt street and Sergnt yall thomas mills a comitte 



41 NORTH PART OF MERIDEN. 

to care of ye school, chose a schoole master and look 
after tlie prudentialls of that affair."' 

North part of Meriden. 

I have thus presented a few sketches of Wallingford, 
down to the year 1 724, when we in Meriden began to 
emerge into a distinct community. But the territorial 
limits of Wallingford, extended northward, only to 
" Pilgrim's Harbor." The part of our town lying 
^between that point, and the present limits of Berlin, is 
not embraced in the preceding sketch, and some facts 
respecting it will now be stated. 

This north part of our town remained in possession 
of tlie Indians, long after they had sold all the adjacent 
territory. Between New Haven on the south, Middle- 
town on the east, and Farmiugton on the north, and 
part of the west, there lay this tract of land, of 
somewhat undefined boundaries. The " old road" 
passed through it. Near its northern limit lay " the 
Belcher farm so called." This is all we know of it, 
until the year 1664; in that year, Seaukeet^ an Indian 
sold and deeded to Edward Higbey, with boundaries 
somewhat obscurely stated, a large tract of land, which 
must have embraced nearly the whole northern half of 
Meriden, as now constituted.* 

But there were other claimants to the same land, for 
in 1682, another Indian by the name of Adam Puit, 



* See Appendix, No. 1, where the deed is given in full :— and 
some explanations are also added. 



NORTH PART OF MERIDEN, 42 

sold to John Talcot, a tract, which from the description 
must have been identical with the one described in the 
deed of Seaukeet.* The next year 1683, Mr. Talcot, 
assigned over to the town of Walliugford, all his right 
and title to this land.f The town of Wallingford also 
bought out all the other titles or claims, to this same 
territory, as appears by documents in the office of the 
Secretary of State at Hartford, but which are too long 
to be inserted here. 

But this north part of Meriden, though oivjved 
by Wallingford, was not a ^:)a?-^ of \yalliugford. The 
title or fee simple of the land, was in the town of 
Wallingford — the right of government was in the state : 
but there was no town authority in it or over it— it 
was neither a town, nor constituted a part of any town. 
It remained in this anomalous condition for several 
years, until the people residing in it, weary of the in- 
convenience of such a state of things, petitioned the 
town of Wallingford to be received, as citizens of that 
town, which petition is here annexed. So far as we 
can learn it was that petition and the vote of the town 
.consequent thereon alone, without any action of the 
state legislature, which made the north part of our 
town, for a time, a constituent part of Wallingford. 

The petition just alluded to, was presented in Sept. 
1718, and reads as follows, in the original records of the 



* See Appendix, No. 2, where the deed is copied in full, and 
remarks added. 

t 6ee Appendix, No. 3, where the aesignment i» copied in MV 



43 EARLY SETTLERS. 

town of TVallingford, — " We, the inhabitants bordering 
and adjacent to, the town of Wallingford, do here 
entreat and request, tliat you would admit us the sub- 
scribers as wholesome and lawful inhabitants into the 
town of Wallingford. We the petitioners here request 
that if it may please you the inhabitants of the town 
of Wallingford to admit us your humble petitioners as 
town inhabitants, then your humble petitioners do 
promise and engage to be subject to your good and 
wholesome orders, laws and constitutions, as witness 
our hands. 

" Bartholomew Foster, John Hoisington, 
John Merriam, Solomon Gofie." 

Joseph Hills. 

Early Settlers. 

The town voted to comply with the request of the 
petitioners. But for a time, not all the inhabitants, 
residing in this north part of Meriden were considered 
citizens of Wallingford, subject to its laws, privileges 
and burthens, but merely those who had applied in 
form for citizenship. We find also on the records sev- 
eral special petitions from individuals residing in this 
same locality, to be allowed to attend public worship in 
the meeting house, and who were by special vote per- 
mitted to occupy a designated seat, on condition of 
paying a certain annual rent. Whereas citizens of 
Wallingford, being regularly taxed by town vote for 
the support of religious institutions, had a right as a 



EARLY SETTLERS. 44 

matter of course to seats in the Church without any 
price or rent whatever. 

It would be tedious to trace out all the transfers of 
land in this neighborhood, after the Indian title was 
extinguished. It may be a matter of some interest 
however, to know some of the principal proprietors and 
residents, in this north part of Meriden about the year 
1716. Northward and eastward of our present village 
of West Meriden, lay the farm of John Merriam,* of 
Lynn, Mass., who is, I believe, the ancestor of the nu- 
merous families of that name still residing here. He 
bought 300 acres for £305. More northerly lay the 
farm of Bartholomew Foster, of 350 acres, which seems 
to have been west of the present old road, and north- 
ward as far probably as the present residence of Mr. 
Hiram Foster, f Further north, was the land of Henry 
Coles, called " the Coles' farm," extending east of Bar- 
tholomew Foster, so as to reach the land of John 
Merriam. North of the " Coles' farm" was the land of 
Nathaniel Roys ; and still further northward was the 
Belcher farm, which — or on which — was the place called 
Meriden. 

These documents, give us some information as to the 
residents in this part of the town, at that period. We 
derive some additional knowledge of the inhabitants, 
as well as of their situation, from the following paper 



* See Appendix, No. 10 : the deed is there quoted at length. 

t See Appendix, No. 2. The deed to Mf. Fc£isr is th&re gi'/eo. 



45 EARLY SETTLERS. 

copied from the original petition, now on file in the 

office of the Secretary of State, at Hartford. 

" To the Honorable the Governor and council and house 

of represtatives in General Cort assembled in his 

Majesties colon}^ of Connecticutt att New Haven, 

Oct. 8, 1724. 

" The Humble petition of the Subscribers Humbly 
Sheweth. 

" That we are under great disadvantages for want of 
a Pound nere ye Merriden or Stone House and are com- 
pelled to drive unruly Cattell nere 6 or 9 miles to ye 
nearest pound, which if we had one nere it would save 
us a Great Deal of troble, and we would carry the 
marks and brands of those Cattell impounded where 
the Law directs, to the next towns unless the Honora- 
ble Assembl}', would pleas to Constitute a man among 
us to Despose of Unruly Creatures as the Law directs. 
" Therefor your Humble Petitioners Pray that there 
may be order for a Pound near ye Merriden, or Stone 
House, and an officer to Despose of impounded cattell, 
and your Petitioners as in duty bound will Ever Pray, 
" Signed, N. Merriam, J. Persons, 

N. Merriam, Jr., Eleazer Aspinwall, 
Wm. Meriara, J. Merriman, Jr., 

Tim. Foster, B. Foster, 

J. Robinson, T. Andrews, 

T. Foster, D. Kich, 

T. Gerrum, J. Scofell" 



SOUTH PART OF MERIDEN. 46 

I will now endeavor to trace the progress of settle- 
ments northward from Wallingford village into the 
bounds of what is now the south part of Meriden. 
But the information which I have been able to glean 
is quite scanty. It is quite clear that while the whole 
country was in alarm and peril, from the Indians, 
during " king Phillip's war" no settlements were made 
beyond the bounds of the compact little village, where 
the planters had clustered together for mutual protec- 
tion, though some land which was " in the wilderness," 
was granted out at that time. But after the termination 
of that war, we find the records full of grants, of wild 
land in distant parts of Wallingford, to actual settlers, 
some of which were within the present southern limits 
of our town. 

Some of the earliest grants of land were in and 
around a swamp called "dog's misery." It had acquired 
the name from the fact that wild animals, when hunted, 
took refuge in this swamp, which was so thick, tangled 
and miry, that the dogs of the hunters were baffled or 
killed in their attempts to reach their prey hidden in 
this jungle. This swamp is that tract of lowland 
[now partly reclaimed] and swamp, lying south of the 
Middletown turnpike, and south of the house of Mr. 
Thomas Baldwin, extending nearly a mile, in a south- 
erly direction. 

In 1679, "the town granted to Nathaniel Royce, 
David Hall, Thomas Hall, Dan. Mix, Joseph Holtj 
each 3 acres lying on the east side of the meadow, 

r 



47 sorni part or meridkn. 

called dog's misery, by the southward branch of Pil- 
grim's harbor," [brook,] that being the name of the 
whole stream from its mouth, up to the pond, whence 
it flows. 

At the next town meeting, Kov. 1679, "granted to 
Neh. Koyce, Isaac Curtuss, each 3 acres, and Nathaniel 
How, and Isaac lloj'ce, each 2 acres, and all at dog's 
miser yV At still another meeting, 1679, there was 
still another grant of swamp, meadow and upland 
^^ahout dog's misery ^^'' to Yale, Curtiss, Royce and 
others. In 1685, granted to Walter Jouson 20 acres, 
"on long hill towards dogh misery?^ 

1683, "granted to Daniel Hooper, 12 acres at do^s 
^niscry?'' 

1700, the daughter of Nathaniel Royce, had three 
and a half acres, at ^'-dog's misery^'' as her portion. 

Another extract will indicate some quite curious 
facts, existing at that early period. Sep. 16, 1707, "the 
towne chose Eliezer peeck, Joshua culver, David Hall, 
a commetie to see that [dog's] missery hiway may not 
be pinsht [pinched] of the twenty rods in any place 
from the town to misseric whare it was not laid out 
before the graint was of s'd hiway." 

It seems that here was a "hiway" twaity rodsy^iA^: 
which enormous allowance for a road was not uncommon 
in those days, as there are several other notices in the 
records of roads of the like width. Still oftener I 
find noticed highways six rods in width. It is quite 
evident too, that the special care of the town to pre- 



SOUTH PART or MERIDEX. 48 

serve the prodigious width of tlie " missery hiway" 
shows the importance and growth of the settlement in 
that quarter. 

Whether these persons settled around dog's misery 
at the precise date of these grants we do not know : 
but there is evidence, that they were there soon after 
For as early as 1696, there is some allusion in the 
records to a great contention about lands, among the 
owners of property at dog's misery. Of the nature 
and merits of the controversy we are not informed, but 
it plainly indicates that the lands about there were 
considered valuable, and that the place was inhabited. 

From the time of the first settlement onward, popu- 
lation slowly increased around " dog's misery," and as 
we shall see, around "Pilgrim's Harbor," also. In 
1724, the whole number of families on and around 
these localities, was thirty-five. The distance to Wal- 
lingford being great, and the roads bad, they naturally 
wished for public worship nearer to their residences. 
According to the custom of that day however, they 
did not proceed to accommodate themselves in the 
matter, until it had been laid before the town, and 
their express permission obtained. Accordingly in 
1724, we find a vote that '-in respect to the north 
farmers [farmers in the north pari; of the town, as 
that portion of our town was then the north part of 
Wallingford,] that they may hire a minister for four 
months this winter on their own charge." This was 
the commencement of the stated preaching of the 



49 WEST AND SOUTH-WEST PART OF MERIDEN. 

Gospel within the present limits of this town, just 124 
jears ago. A further account of their ecclesiastical 
organization and progress will be given, on a subse- 
quent page. 

West and South-west tart of Meriden. 

Contemporaneous with the "plantations" around 
"dog's misery," the settlements began to creep up into 
the western and south-western parts of the present 
limits of Meriden. As early as Sept. 1677, it was 
"ordered that every planter shall have according to 
theyr ranks, 4 acrs, 3 acrs, and 2 acrs of the choice 
land upon the River hopp ground land, beginning att 
pilgrim's harbor." This " hopp ground land" was that 
which produced the materials for making hoops [hopps]. 
Such land though swampy, was then the most valuable 
in the town. For in the great dearth of a circulating 
medium, and of means for purchasing all foreign pro- 
duce, these hoops, [and staves also,] always found a 
great demand, and a ready sale in the We^t Indies. 
Of course our farmers in trading with the New Haven 
merchants, found these hoop-poles as useful as cash. 
Accordingly we Snd in the records of the town that 
these " hopp ground lands," were most carefully man- 
aged, were granted out in very small quantities ; and 
in the various grants recorded, each man was very 
careful that a piece of this precious land should be 
included in his farm. 

In the year 1676, a farm was granted to Levi Fowler, 



farm's district settled. 50 

as part " compensation" for building a mill. This was 
at the place which we now call "^/2€/«r;w5." Sixty 
acres were granted to him, and thus described : " the 
north stake to be pitched 10 rods to the north-ward 
of the brook, commonly called. Milking yard brook, as 
you go between Wallingford and Hartford, [this is the 
brook, which the old road crosses at the lower end of 
the present farm district, just north of the residence 
of Mr. Elias Parmelee and Mr. Linus Clarke, and so 
called, because cattle were of old, there driven into a 
pen to be milked,] and in the middle way between the 
mouth of said brook and the old path ; and so to run 
a straight line southward so as to cut the edge of the 
red bank by the east river so called [this red bank is 
the little spur or projection around which the rail road 
sweeps, just before it passes the high stone viaduct, 
over the turnpike] at the utmost part eastward, and so 
from the northern stake westward 120 rods, and so to 
hold his depth on the south side." This land would 
be very nearly that which constitutes the present farm 
of Mr. Wyllys Smith. 

Farm's District settled. 

Near and around this farm, oi/her settlers soon 
located themselves. In 1679, it was voted, "that the 
land about the milking yard, and on the north side of 
the brook at the head of the little plain, be granted," 
to planters, as these should be needed. This " little 
plain" was the upper part of the present *' farm district," 



51 HANOVER SETTLED. 

where Is tlie farm of the late William Linsley. It was^ 
called little plain, in distinction, from " fall's plain," or 
" tlic plain," which is the locality we now term " Hano- 
ver." The same year, " The towne yielded to exchange 
with Sam'l Royce, the 3 acrs of his land att y© uper 
end of little plaine, for 3 acrs of y* swamp, in y*^ mid- 
dle of said plaine joyning to Crood" Lewes." In 
another grant to this Samuel lloyce, this same spot is 
called " milcin yard farms," as bounded south by 
milking yard brook, and west by milking yard hill. 

Also in 1679, " the town granted to Good^ Lewas 3 
acrs of y® swamp that lieth about the middle of y« litle 
plaine." At the same time " the towne granted Tho. 
Yale 3 acrs of swamp land, joyning to his two acrs 
that was formerly granted for mendmeut of his river 
lott att the loer end of ye litle plaine." 

Hanover Settled. 

in the year 1677, there was a grant of land to Ne- 
hemiah lloyce and Samuel Royce, of some laud " at 
the head of the plains," which is another phrase by 
which Hanover was then designated. A very natural 
phrase, for at that point, the stretch of level land which 
extends from New Haven, through North Haven and 
Walliugford, terminates. In 1680 a grant was made 
" to Sam'l Hough, to settle on the head of the plain 
near to Nehemiah Royce's." In 1689 this "head of 
the plain," or " falls' plaine," was considered so beautiful 
a spot, that it was regularly laid out for a village. The 



CHURCH AT MERIDEN. 52 

main street was to be eighty rods long, and on each 
side of it were staked out building lots ; the western 
lots extending to the hill, and the eastern ones, to the 
river. These lots were assigned by raflSe, each "planter" 
in the town of Wallingford, being allowed to draw one 
lot. A map of this village as thus laid out, was made 
160 years ago, and still remains on the town records. 
The main street of this contemplated village must have 
been nearly if not quite coincident with the road now 
in existence, running north and south, past the house 
of Mr. James Newton, and terminating near the house 
of Mr. Chester Rice. The street however, as then laid 
out, was continued northward to the river, instead of 
terminating at the house of Mr. Rice. 

Church at Meriden. 

I have thus given an outline of the progress of set- 
tlements in several localities within our present limits. 
In the year 1724, the number of families within those 
limits being thirty-five, they began to have public 
worship as a distinct community, in the manner already 
stated on a previous page. In 1725, they organised 
themselves into a distinct Ecclesiastical Society ; and 
that society and the territory they occupied, received 
the present name of Meriden. Por the next two years 
they had public worship only in the winter season, and 
their meetings were held in a private house. In 1727, 
a house of worship was erected in the eastern part of 
the town. But at the very outset, there arose a very 



53 CHl'RCH AT MERIDEN. 

serious difficulty as to the location of their meeliug 
house. The inhabitants around "dog's misery" would na- 
turally desire that the Church should be as near as pos- 
sible to their farms : and the people at " Pilgrim's Har- 
bor," " the old road," and " milking yard farms," would 
be equally desirous of a site convenient to themselves. 
That part of our town, now constituting "the centre," 
was then either entirely uninhabited, or was of so little 
consequence, that its claims in the matter do not appear 
to have been thought of At length it was decided 
that the meeting house should be built on the western 
slope of the hill, still known as the " meeting house 
hill," in which decision, the " dog's misery" party had 
the advantage. In accordance with this decision, the 
materials were all prepared, and collected at the chosen 
spot. But the aggrieved party, hoping yet to gain re- 
dress, collected men and teams at night, and hauled the 
timbers, over a brook, and up a hill, to a lot on or near 
v^hich tlie house of Mr. Willard Hall now stands, that 
being the spot, where they wished the house to stand. 
Of course such a step would excite no small stir. But 
of the details of the controversy thence ensuing we 
know nothing. Authentic tradition only assures us 
that the very men and teams who toiled all night to 
carry the timbers westward, were all induced or com- 
pelled, to haul them all back to the old spot, in broad 
day light. 

The house was then built on the spot first selected. 
It has long since disappeared, but from the best infor- 



ORGANIZATION OF THE CHURCH. 54 

mation I can obtain, it was about thirty feet square, 
and built in the very plainest style. The jfirst burying 
ground in Meriden, was near the top of "meeting 
house hill," east of the Church. It has long since been 
disused. But many of the old stones yet remain, and 
some of the inscriptions are still legible. Its neglected 
and dilapidated condition, rebukes us for our want of 
care in honoring and preserving the memories of our 
fathers, or predecessors. 

OsGANIZATION OF THE ChURCH. 

In December 1728, Rev. Theophilus Hall began to 
preach in the new meeting house. Oct. 9, 1729, it 
was resolved to form a Church, and on Oct. 22, after a 
day of fasting and prayer the Church was duly organ- 
ised. Fifty-one persons were thus gathered as the 
original members, and it may be interesting to know 
who they were. Their names are therefore here sub- 
joined : 

Robert Royce, John Hecock and wife, 

Sam'l Royce and wife, John Cole, 

Thomas Yale and wife, The wife of Wm. Hough, 

John Merriam, " " " John Yale, 

Bartholomew Foster, " " " Joseph Cole, 

Robert Collins, " « '•' Nath'l Royce, 

David Levit, « « « David Rich, 

Ezekiel Royce and wife, " " " Daniel Harris, 

Abel Royce and wife, " " " S. Andrews, 

Benj. Royce and wife, " " " Tim. Jerom, 

8 



00 MINISTRY OF THE ilEV. MR. HALL. 

Nath'l Merriam and wife, The wife of Benj. CurtisB, 
John Merriam. Jr., and wife, " '• " John Ives, 
JoHcpb Merriam, " " " J. Robinson, 

Dan. Balding and wife, " " " W. Merriam, 

Amos Camp and wife, '' " '• Jos. lloyce, 

Benj. Whiting and wife. Widow llojce, 

Sam'l Ives and wife, Mary Hough, 
Ebenezer Prindle and wife, Eunice Cole. 
John Way and wife, 

Ministry of He v. Mr. Hall. 

The Rev. Theophilus Hall was the first pastor of the 
Church. He was ordained Oct. 29, 1729. His salary 
varied somewhat in different years, but was about £50, 
which in the colonial currency was about equal to $175, 
annually. By express stipulation this sum might be 
paid in money or provisions : and when paid in provi- 
sions, they were to be received at the following prices : 
wheat at 4s. per bushel, rye at 2s. 6d., corn at 2s. 

Mr. Hall was pastor of the Church about thirty -eight 
years, and died in March, 1767. During his ministry 
about 250 persons were added to the Church. In his 
personal appearance he is said to have been quite small 
of stature. He was "a man of strong intellectual 
powers, much esteemed as a preacher, of great firm- 
ness and stability, and a zealous advocate for civil and 
religious liberty." He lived in a house, not now in 
existence, whicli stood on the lot where the present 
reeidenc^ of Kr. Willard Hall — one of his descend- 



MINISTRY OF THE REV. MR. HUBBARD. 5b 

ants, — now stands. He also owned a farm of about 
one hundred acres which comprised all the central part 
of our town. It was hounded by a line, drawn from a 
point near the house of the late Rosweil Cowles, and 
running southerly about one hundred rods, then easter- 
ly to a point on the main street opposite the old 
Episcopal Church, thence northerly to the house of 
Mr. Samuel Yale, and thence to the point of departure. 

On this farm he built a house for his son. That 
house now stands, in its original location, and is occu- 
pied as the Central Hotel. 

During his ministry, a new and much larger house of 
worship was erected. It was built in the year 1755, on 
land given by the Rev. Mr. Hall, out of his farm for 
that purpose, and stood nearly on the spot where the 
present Centre Congregational Church now stands. 
The population in the central and western portions of 
the town, had so much increased at this time, that we 
hear of no objections to the erection of the new Church, 
at a point distant nearly one mile from the spot where 
the old house stood. \ 

Ministry of the Kev. Mr. Hubbard. 

In Nov. 1767, about seven months after the decease 
of Mr. Hall, the Church voted to invite Rev. John 
Hubbard to become their Pastor. This vote however 
was not unanimous, as 42 were in favor of the 
call, and 21 were opposed to it. At the Society meet- 
ing, the votes on the proposal to present a call to Mr. 



57 MINISTRY OF THE REV. MR. HUBBARD. 

Hubbard stood, 65 in the affirmative an^ 37 in the 
negative. They also voted to give him a settlement, as 
it was called, that is, a gift of £100 at his settlement, 
and an annual salary of £80, which was about equal to 
8250 ; one-half of which was to be paid in wheat, rye, 
and corn. 

But the division indicated by these votes appears to 
have been a very serious one, and the feelings excited 
in the Church very strong. For before these votes 
could be carried out, the minority opposed to Mr. Hub- 
bard, invited the Consociation of the County to meet 
in Meriden, and laid before them certain charges 
against the orthodoxy of Mr. Hubbard. The Conso- 
ciation cited Mr. Hubbard to appear before them. He 
refused on the ground that they had no authority in 
the case. Whereupon they voted to withdraw his li- 
cense to preach, and so far as they were concerned, 
silenced him. 

The Church proceeded nevertheless, and invited a 
Council to assemble Dec. 29, 1767, to ordain Mr. Hub- 
bard. They met; but on the same day, the Consociation 
of the County, also assembled in Meriden at the invi- 
tation of the minority. The Council, prepared to 
ordain Mr. Hubbard, agreeably to the wishes of the 
majority ; the Consociation, assembled to aid and advise 
the minority, in opposing the ordination. There was 
thus presented the unseemly spectacle of two ecclesias- 
tical bodies, assembled as rallying points, for the two 
little parties into which the Church was divided. 



MINISTRY OF THE REV. MR. HUBBARD. 58 

Both of these bodies continued in session four days, 
sending from one to the other, letters, resolutions and 
remonstrances, becoming themselves more and more 
excited, and of course, exasperating the feud among 
the people which had already become intense. At 
length both bodies adjourned, and the ordination was 
deferred. But it seems the difficulties only became 
worse. For at the next session of the legislature in 
May, 1768, the minority party opposed to Mr. Hubbard 
presented a petition to that body, with an account of 
their condition and grievances. The legislature in 
Oct. 1768, heard the petition, and granted the minority 
a release from all taxes laid for the support of Mr. 
Hubbard. The legislature, further advised the Church, 
to refer the whole affair with all their difficulties to a 
certain number of ministers and laymen, selected by a 
Committee of the legislature, and to yield unreserved 
compliance with their decision. But the majority 
refused to assent to the recommendation of the legis- 
lature. 

The affair seems to have excited a good deal of 
attention throughout the State ; for letters and state- 
ments respecting all these proceedings appeared in the 
papers, and several pamphlets were published, in which 
the affair, with all its bearings and the principles in- 
volved, were earnestly discussed. At length in June 
22, 1769, after nearly two years of unhappy controver- 
sy, Mr. Hubbard was ordained. But so strong was 
the feeling among the ministers of the State, that few 



59 MrXISTRY OF TTIE REV. MR. HUBBARD. 

or none of them would take any part in the ordination, 
and a Council, composed principally of persons out of 
the State, convened at Meriden, and performed the 
required ceremonials. 

In consequence of his settlement a portion of the 
Church and Society seceded, organised themselves as a 
separate body and maintained public worship. They 
met for some years in a private house, belonging to 
Capt. Shaler, situated near the spot where the house of 
Mr. George Hall now stands, on the road leading to 
the north-east part of the town, and about one mile 
from the centre. In 1770, there were but eight or 
nine families who met there. Gradually they all re- 
turned. Mr. Hubbai'd was said to be a man of 
unusually kind and amiable disposition, and his perse- 
vering course of conciliatory conduct, slowly affected 
the minds of those who had opposed him, until they 
all returned to an attendance on his ministrations. 

About the year 1783, Mr. Hubbard was seriously 
injured by being thrown from his sleigh, and thereby 
disabled from preaching. He lingered until Nov. 1786, 
and died. He built and occupied the house in which 
Mr. Joel Miller now resides, near the centre of the town. 

By those persons now living who still remember 
him, he is said to have been a man of about the middle 
size, with an unusually pleasant and benignant counte- 
nance. His pleasing manners and amiable disposition 
won for him the affections of the people. As a preacher, 
he is said to have been animated and interesting. 



REV. MR. WILLARD. 60 

Rev. John Willard was settled as colleague pastor 
in June 1786, a few months before the death of Mr. 
Hubbard. His salary was £100 — about equal to $330, 
and thirty cords of wood, annually, and by agreement 
the wood was to be taken at 8s. per cord. He also 
received a settlement^ as it was then termed, of £200. 
Since that time, the custom of making donations at 
the settlement of a pastor — once almost universal in 
our Churches — has been entirely abandoned here, and 
throughout the State. 

At the time of Mr. Willard's ordination, serious 
difficulties arose in the Congregation, similar in their 
origin, to those which appeared at the settlement of 
Mr. Hubbard. The theological doctrines, styled Ar- 
minianism and Calvinism, were then warmly debated 
throughout the State, and had their respective advocates 
among the ministers and Churches. It seems that 
Mr. Willard's doctrinal sentiments on some of these 
controverted points, were distasteful to a portion of the 
people, and they consequently opposed his settlement. 
Although there was no organized secession from the 
Church on account of these differences, yet the dissat- 
isfaction remained and increased. Yery great numbers 
during his ministry, either deserted public worship 
altogether, or transferred themselves to other denom- 
inations, so that the Congregation, was very much 
diminished and weakened. In consequence of which? 
Mr. Willard was dismissed in the year 1802. He 



61 REV. MR. WILLARD. 

Bubseqiiently removed to Vermont and died there not 
many years since. 

He is said to have been in his personal appear- 
ance very tall and slender : and to have preached with 
a good deal of animation. While residing in Meriden, 
he built and occupied the house, now owned and used 
by Mr. Samuel Yale, on North Market street, just at 
the head of Liberty street. 

In Feb. 1803, Eev. Erastus Riple}^, was settled. 
His salary was fixed at $400. In the course of his 
ministry, the Congregation rapidly diminished. Great 
numbers joined themselves to other denominations, and 
at one time it seemed as if the Church, would become 
quite extinct. He was dismissed in Feb. 1822, after a 
ministry of 19 years. 

He was a very large, and commanding man in his 
personal appearance, and possessed of a strong mind. 
But his manner of preaching was dry, metaphysical, 
and destitute of all animation. While here he built 
and occupied the house opposite the residence of Dea. 
Walter Booth. He was subsequently settled in the 
eastern part of this state ; and returned here to spend 
his old age. He died, Nov. 16, 1843. 

In Nov. 1822, Kev. Charles J. Hinsdale, was settled. 
His salary was $550. During his ministry, the Church 
and Congregation increased very much in numbers and 
prosperity ; there were repeated revivals of religion, 
and a new house of worship was erected. He was 
dlgmisoed in Dec. 1833. after a ministry of eleven jesiv^. 



HOUSES OF vvoRsnip- 62 

In March, 1836, Rev. Arthur Granger was settled, 
and after a brief and troubled ministry of about two 
years, was dismissed, in July, 1838. The present pas- 
tor was settled May, 1841. Salary, $700, and a house 

Houses of Worship. 

The erection and location of the first house of wor- 
ship within the limits of our town has been already 
noticed. It was occupied twenty-eight years. A 
second house was built in the year 1755, which was 
about sixty feet long and fifty broad. Originally it 
Was without steeple or bell. It so remained until the 
year 1803, when a steeple was added, and a bell pro- 
cured. This house was occupied for public worship, 
seventy-six years. In June, 1831, anew house was 
erected on the spot where the former one stood, and ig 
now occupied by the Centre Congregational Church. 
The cost of this house was about $7,000. Its dimen- 
sions were 78 feet long, and 50 feet wide. But as the 
population increased rapidly, there soon was need of 
another house of worship. As this increase was 
mainly in the western part of the town, it was 
decided to erect a new house at the point usually 
styled " the Corner," or " West Meriden." According- 
ly the house we occupy at this time was here built, at 
an expense of $8000. It is 90 feet in length, and 
56 feet in width. In addition to the cost of the 
houae, the land was purchased for $800 ; a large bell 
and a town clock of superior workmanship, were also 
9 



63 OLD CtSTOMS. 

procured ; and the interior of the house furnished 
with elegant lamps, with carpets, and cushions through- 
out for every pew, and with two furnaces ; all of which 
raised the cost of the hou(*c as we now have it, to 
about eleven thousand dollars. In the rear of the 
Church is a lecture room, 50 feet long and 36 feet wide, 
erected at a cost of about 61200. It may perhaps be 
proper also to insert here, that in the year 1841, a 
beautiful parsonage was erected on the hill, which in 
1847 was sold, and another was built near the new 
Church, the cost of which was about $3000. 

Old Custo.ms. 

For many years it was the cu.stom in Meriden, — as 
it had been in their parent Church, in Wallingford, 
and indeed throughout the State — to " dignify and 
seat the meeting house." On this practice and its con- 
sequent evils, a few words have already been said on a 
previous page. The custom was maintained here until 
the occupation of the house which was built in 1831. 
The Society then adopted the plan of renting the pews 
annually, at public auction, thus giving to each person 
the opportunity of selecting a pew suited to his taste. 

The younger part of my readers may be interested 
in some information relative to another custom, now 
obsolete and fast passing into oblivion. In the " good 
old times," the houses of public worship were never 
warmed. Indeed, some would have deemed it an inno- 
vation sadly ominous of degeneracy, if not of a<Jtual 



OLD CUSTOM.'. 6i 

profanation, to make the house of GoJ, comfortable. 
Of course, the hearers, in the cold weather, must have 
sat in an atmosphere, the very thought of which makes 
one shiver. Those who had travelled several miles to 
reach the place of public worship, as many of them 
did, and entered the house half-frozen, literally found 
" cold comfort." As prayers and sermons then, were 
much longer than moderns will endure, the winter 
hearers of those days must have endured a species of 
martyrdom. It is said that sometimes preachers com- 
plained bitterly that their voices were drowned by the 
noise of persons stamping, or knocking their fcet to- 
gether, in the attempt to get up a little warmth. 

As a partial relief to such suffering, some persons 
built near the Church, what are often mentioned in the 
old records, as " Sabbath day houses" — little cabins 
about ten feet square, furnished with a fire-place, chim- 
ney and some chairs. Here the owner retired with 
his family at the intermission, and partook of some 
refreshment preparatory to the freezing process of the 
afternoon. It is a curious illustration of the tenacity 
with which old habits are cherished, that here as else- 
where, the proposal to make the house of God 
comfortable and healthful by means of stoves, was met 
with very decided opposition. Even in 1831, when the 
new house was built, it was with great difficulty that 
the Society could be induced even to allow chimneys 
to be built, though they were to be erected gratuitous- 
ly. But warmth is now esteemed as appropriate to 



65 THE STATE OF RELIGION'. 

the house of God, as to one's parlor; aud the '* Sab- 
bath day houses" which once nestled down around the 
Church, have all disappeared. 

The state of HeligiOxV. 

Of the general state of religion in this Church, in 
the earlier periods of its existence, we have very scanty 
information. But we know that from the year 1700 
and onward, thoughout all New England, experimental 
and vital godliness had very much decayed. This is 
not the place to enter upon a discussion, or even a full 
enumeration of the causes of this declension. The 
'' half way covenant" — the numerous and almost inces- 
sant wars which oppressed and harrassed the people, 
fierce political agitations of the day, were, no doubt, 
among these causes. But in the fact of such declension, 
all accounts agree. 

An accurate historian speaking of those times sayg, 
" there is a fearful decay creeping, I cannot say, but 
rushing in upon these Churches, a visible shrink^ in 
all orders of men, of that greatness and goodness 
which was the first grain that our God brought into 
this land." 

In 1715, the General Association say, '-that there 
was a great want of Bibles, great neglect of public 
worship on the Sabbath," and complain of intemper- 
ance and other vices. Trumbull remarks, " that there 
was little of the power of religion, that professors 
were worldly and lukewarm — the young people were 



THE STATE OF RELIGION. 66 

loose and vicious — family prayer was neglected — the 
Sabbath was profaned — taverns were haunted, intem- 
perance and other vices increased ; and many of the 
ministers preached a cold and lifeless morality." 

We may therefore conclude with almost entire 
certainty, that Meriden did not differ much in these 
respects from the rest of New England: and that in our 
town, as elsewhere, formality, irreligion and declension, 
prevailed to a mournful extent. So far as the records 
of our Church, throw any light on the subject, we are 
led to the same inference : for we find that year after 
year, not more than one or two, united with the Church 
annually. 

But in 1735, commenced a series of stupendous 
revivals in New England. They originated at North- 
ampton under the preaching of the great and good 
Jonathan Edwards ; and were characterised by won- 
derful extent and power. They extended into 
Connecticut. In some places, not a solitary person 
could be found, whose mind was not concerned for his 
Boul's interest. In 1740, and 1741, various towns in 
Connecticut were most wonderfully affected — people 
flocked together on all days in the week, in great 
crowds to hear the word of God — they would fill the 
houses, and then stand clustered around the doors and 
windows, pressing eagerly to hear — they would go from 
one town to another, wherever there was public worship. 
The results of these revivals were most delightful and 
permanent — the morals of the community became 



fir 



THE STATE OF RELIGION. 



wonderfully improved; intemperance, saLbatli breaking 
and profanity disappeared, and it was said that if bags 
of gold or diamonds had been left lying about in the 
streets, no person would have touched them. 

About this time also, the celebrated Whitfield trav- 
elled through the country, preaching. In 1740, he 
passed through Connecticut on this very road, from 
Hartford to New Haven, and once at least, if not sev- 
eral times preached at Wallingford, then our own 
town. There can be no reasonable doubt that Meriden 
shared to some extent in the revivals which attended 
the labors of Whitfield, and our records inform us of 
considerable accessions to the Church at that time. 
But I have not been able to obtain any definite infor- 
mation, of the nature and progress of the revival. 

From that period, I have not been able to learn that 
there was any season of revival in this town for the 
space oi seventy-four years. As a natural consequence, 
both religion and the Church, had arrived at a point 
of very great declension, and feebleness. The Con- 
gregation had become very thin, and was daily 
becoming weaker. But in 1814, there commenced a 
very precious and powerful work of grace, and it was 
thought that one hundred were converted. In 1829 
there was another revival, and it was hoped that about 
ffty were led to Christ. In 1833, God again granted 
his blessing, and about seventy^ it is believed, repented 
of sin. In 1837, this Church was once more favored 
with a season of refreshing, and /w^y professed to have 



rtm BAPTIST CHURCH. 68 

experienced religion. In 1840, there was still another 
work of grace, and it is stated that as many as o?te 
ku7idred and forty were converted. In 1847-8, there 
was some special interest in religious subjects, and it 
is hoped that nearly one hundred became true 
Christians. 

The Baptist Church. 

For about seventy years after the settlement of our 
town, there was no organized body of Christians with- 
in our limits except the Congregational Church. In 
the year 1739, a Baptist Church was formed, of which 
Rev. John Merriman was pastor. This Church however, 
by the emigration of its members, and from other 
causes, ceased to exist, about the year, 1750. 

Various individuals, however, continued to prefer the 
faith and practice of the Baptists, and ministers of 
that denomination occasionally preached at private 
houses, in diflferent parts of the town. In 1786 another 
Baptist Church was organised in the town, consisting 
of twelve members. Then, and subsequently, individ- 
uals became members of this Church, who resided in 
Cheshire, North Haven and Westfield, as no churches 
of this denomination of their preference existed in 
those places. For fourteen years their assemblies for 
public worship convened in private houses, in the south- 
east part of Meriden. In the year 1801, their first 
house of worship was built, in that same part of the 
town, couth of the present residentje of Mr. Ivah 



69 THE BAPTIST CHVRClt. 

Curtiss. It was about thirty-five feetlongand twenty^ 
five feet wide. In 18 IG, they abandoned this house^ 
and erected a new Church, in the centre of Meriden. 
In 1831 the house was enlarged, and adorned with a 
steeple. In 1848, the Baptist Society, increasing with 
the growth of the town, erected for themselves a large 
and beautiful Church, not far from the site of the 
former one. The cost of the new house, completed 
and furnished, together with the land, and the lecture 
room, was $9,500. Its dimensions are 76 feet long, and 5* 
feet wide. 

For a long time the Baptist Church had no stated 
pastor. During this period, when not supplied with 
preaching by regularly ordained ministers, their public 
services were conducted by some of the brethren select- 
ed and appointed for that purpose by the Church. In 
the year 1806, Rev. Samuel Miller was ordained as 
their pastor, and continued with them until his death 
in 1829. He will be long remembered in the town for 
his indefatigable zeal, and estimable clmracter. Sub- 
sequently, Eev. Messrs. William Bentley, Russell 
Jennings, Nathaniel Hervey, George B. Atwell and 
Malcom, were successively pastors. In 1838, Rev. 
Harvey Miller, son of the first pastor, was installed. 
During his ministry, the Congregation has gained rap- 
idly in numbers and strength, having been favored 
with repeated revivals of religion. He is still with 
them ; no less loved and esteemed than his venerable 
parent. 



THE EPISCOPAL AND METHODIST CHURCHES. /O 

The Episcopal Church in this town, was organized 
about the year 1789. For several years their assem- 
blies for public worship convened at a private house in 
the western part of the town. Their present house of 
worship in the central village in Meriden, was erected 
in the year 1809 ; it is 45 feet long and 36 feet wide- 
A new and elegant Gothic Church of stone, is now in 
the process of completion, the cost of which will prob- 
ably be about $12,000. It is 80 feet long, and 45 
feet wide. 

The Episcopal Church has been supplied with quite 
a numerous succession of pastors, who have individually 
remained here but for very brief periods, and all their 
names I cannot ascertain. With great regret I am 
compelled to state that many of the details of the 
history of this Church are lost ; as on application to 
the present pastor, for facts to be embodied in these 
sketches, he informed me that the records had been 
BO imperfectly kept, that nothing of any value could be 
gleaned from them. 

The Methodist Church. 

The establishment of the Methodist Church in this 
place, is an occurrence so very recent that very little 
information can here be communicated. The Chris- 
tians of this denomination were associated as a Church, 
and commenced the stated worship of the Sabbath, 
in the year 1844. In 1847, they completed and occu- 
pied their new and beautiful house of worship at the 
10 



71 CENTRE CONGREGATI0.\AL CHURCH. 

" centre f built at an expense of $6,000. Its dimen- 
sions are GO feet long and 40 feet wide. 

Centre Congregational Church. 

The account of this Church has been virtually in- 
cluded in the previous sketch of that Church of which 
it was a part. When the increase of numbers 
necessitated the erection of a new house at the 
" Corner," in the year 1848, a part of the brethren 
preferred to retain and use the old house of worship. 
They were accordingly organized into "the Centre 
Congregational Church and Society," and the property 
was equally divided between them and the " First 
Congregational Church and Society." In 1848 their 
first pastor. Rev. A. A. Stevens was ordained, 



OBSEEVATIONS 

ON 

MISCELLANEOUS TOPICS. 



Manufactures. 

The manufactories of Meriden, constitute so prom- 
inent a feature in its presont condition, that one 
naturally feels some curiosity to know something of 
their origin. Indeed, such is the surface of our town, 
so much of it is covered with rocky and barren ridges ; 
or with swamps unfit for tillage, that if we had remain- 
ed exclusively an agricultural town, our population 
would not have increased, probably for the last thirty 
years ; and our pecuniary circumstances would have 
been equally cramped. For with our soil, we could 
never have competed in the market with the rich lands 
of the South and West, in the production and sale of 
agricultural products. But the home market furnished 
by manufactures has stimulated and rewarded the 
farmer, giving new value both to his land and his crops. 
One who was acquainted with this place thirty-five 
years ago, wearing every appearance of stagnation and 
dilapidation, must, with high gratification, contrast that 
decay with the life, thrift and taste, now so characteristic 
of Meriden. 



/J MANUFACTURES. 

According to the best information I can obtain, the 
first effort which bore a faint resemblance to a "factory" 
appeared in 1791. Mr. Samnel Yale began to manu- 
facture cut nails. He and his son worked in a small 
sliop on the hill, near the present site of the Centre 
Congregational Church. Their little machine was 
worked by their ownhands, and each nail was '-headed" 
separately and by hand. About the year 1794, the 
same Mr. Yale, commenced the manufacture of huttons 
on a small scale. They were made of pewter, and 
would be considered by us a coarse and rough article. 
But at that time they met a ready sale. For a long 
time, only two or three men were employed in the 
business. 

From that time onward, various articles were manu- 
factured in our town ; but the business was conducted 
on a very small scale. The manufacturing career of 
our town, did not really commence until about the 
year 1820. Some branches of business established 
about that time have been growing in importance ever 
since, and many other manufactories have been com- 
menced. Those who are best acquainted with the 
business of our town, are confident, that the value of 
articles manufactured here cannot now be less than 
one million of dollars annually. 

It should also be known and recorded, that nearly 
all the proprietors of our manufacturing establishments 
have been the decided friends of morality and religion; 
have aimed to introduce into our population only per- 



MANUFACTURES. 74 

sons of correct habits ; and endeavored to promote the 
highest good of those whom they employed. The 
results have been most gratifying. Large numbers of 
the young persons who came here for employment, 
have been led, it is hoped, to the true knowledge of 
Christ. The general tone of morals, will compare 
favorably with that of almost any town in our State. 

A minute historical and statistical account of each 
branch of manufactures among us would be a very in- 
teresting and valuable document. But this kind of 
information, many proprietors, for obvious reasons, 
think it inexpedient to furnish, and therefore it cannot 
be presented here. Should these pages however be in 
existence one hundred years from this time, the reader 
of that day would no doubt like to know what articles 
are now manufactured in Meriden. Such information 
as can be procured, will be given in the appendix. * 

Of all these branches of business, no one is more 
interesting than the " Ivory Comb Manufactory," 
whether one regards its origin and growth, or the great 
beauty and admirable mechanism of the machinery 
employed. According to the best means of informa- 
tion, ivory combs were first made in this country by 
Andrew Lord of Saybrook, about sixty years ago. He 
cut out the " plates," and the teeth, by hand with a 
hand-saw : a slow and expensive process. John Gra- 
ham of Boston, and Mr. Tryon of Grlastenbury, made 

* See Appendix, No. 12, where the stat'stics so far as Ihey 
could be obtained are given. 



75 MANUFACTURE.^. 

ivory combs about the same time, on a small scale: the 
latter person used machinery. Ezra and Elisha Pratt 
of Hartford, also manufactured the article about fifty- 
five years ago, cutting the teeth by hand, like Mr. 
Lord. Abel Pratt, of Saybrook, made ivory combs 
fifty-one years ago. He sawed the -'plates" by hand, 
and two hundred and fifty was considered a good day's 
work ; whereas by the present improved processes four 
thousand plates can be sawed out in one day by one 
man. He cut the teeth however, with circular saws, 
and machiner}^ moved by hand and afterwards by wind. 
Ezra Williams also commenced the same business in 
Saybrook, soon after Mr. Pratt, and began to saw the 
" plates" with machinery moved by water power. This 
establishment has continued to the present time, and 
is now known by the name of Grcorge Read & Co. 
Great improvements have been made there, in the 
machinery, and at one time nearly all the ivory comb 
business in the country was done by that firm. Various 
other attempts to carry on this business have been 
made, most of which have not succeeded. At the 
present time, all the ivory combs made in America, are 
manufactured in Connecticut, and nearly two-thirds of 
the whole, are made in Meriden. The business was 
commenced in this town in 1819 by Merriam & Collins, 
who used the best machinery known at that time. 
Their establishment was not long continued. Howard, 
Pratt & Co., began to manufacture ivory combs in 
Merideu in 1822. This firm is now in existence under 



MINES, 7G 

the name of Julius Pratt & Co. In this establishment, 
yery great improvements have been made in the 
machinery by which the work is executed. The slow 
processes of the hand have been discarded, and ma- 
chines which almost seem to have intelligence, perform 
the work with such rapidity, precision and beauty, that 
while the value of the raw material remains as it was 
thirty years ago, a far better article can now be sold at 
less than half the price formerly demanded. 

Walter Webb & Co., commenced the business in 
1831 : Philo Pratt & Co., in 1836. The business of 
this latter firm was subsequently transferred to W. 
Webb &• Co., and Mr. Pratt became a partner. In 
this establishment also, the best machinery is used. 

The three firms of Geo. Read & Co., of Deep Kiver, 
Julius Pratt & Co., Walter Webb & Co., of Meriden, 
now turn out about 15,000 or 18,000 combs daily, or 
about five and a half millions, annually; of these probably 
more than three millions and ahalf are made in Meriden. 
Quantities of these are exported to all parts of North 
and South America, and some are even sent to England 

Mines. 

Very soon after the settlement of the town, it was 
conjectured that mineral wealth lay hidden within our 
hills. Various attempts have been made to find these 
buried treasures ; and the old shafts and excavations 
still attest the seal and industry of the miners. But 
it is utterly impoeeible to ascertain when or by whom 



77 MINO. 

the mining business was commenced. We know tliat 
as early as 1712. the legislature passed a law for the 
encouragement of proprietors of mines in Simsbury 
and Wallingford [Meriden], and from the phraseology 
of the act it is evident that the mines had been -worked, 
(though unsuccessfully ;) previous to that time. But 
we have no more information on the subject until the 
year 1737. At that time a company was formed for 
the purpose of working the abandoned mines, and of 
this attempt we have an authentic account, as some of 
the papers relative to it, have been preserved by Dea- 
con Silas Ptoyce, the descendant of one of the partners- 
in the company. These mines were on " milking-yard 
hill," and the shafts may still be seen, in the rear of 
the present residence of Mr. Norman Wood. 

As matters of this kind are now exciting special 
interest, and as loose papers will not probably long be 
preserved in manuscript, it has been thought advisable 
to print them in full in these " Sketches." Although 
it is now generally supposed that these excavations 
were made solely as copper mines, yet these papers 
indicate an expectation of finding gold. Indeed it is 
probable that the hope of obtaining this more precious 
metal was the main inducement to re-opening the 
abandoned works. Several of the old inhabitants of 
our town have informed me, that in their boyhood they 
heard it spoken of as matter of current and universal 
belief, that small quantities of gold had actually been 
found in. these mines. A very con9ideraI)le quantity 



MIXES. 7S 

of tlie ore was once sliipped to England,, as tlic means 
of smelting it were not to be found in America, but the 
ship was lost at sea. Tradition asserts that the for- 
eigners who wrought in the mines concealed, and 
appropriated to themselves, whatever gold they found. 
For these reasons or for other causes of failure, the 
works were once more abandoned, and have never been 
resumed. Indeed, the Geological character of the 
" formation" around these mines, indicates ncltluer cop- 
per nor gold^ unless at very great depths. 

Annexed is the document containing the articles of 
co-partnership. 

Golden Parlor Mines. 

" xirticles of Agreement made and Concluded upon 
this twenty-Seventh day of April Anno Domini, 1737, 
Between Edward Higbee of Middletown, and Walter 
Henderson of Hartford, both of y® County of Hart- 
ford, and Thomas Thomas of New York, Arthur 
Rexford, Sam'll Androus, Benj. Boyse, all of Walling- 
ford, in y® County of Newhaven, and Colony of 
Connecticut, and Daniel Higbay of Middletown in ye 
County of Hartford afores'd, and Josiah Grizwold, 
Thomas Goodwin, Benjamin Stillman, John Pierce, all 
of Wethersfield in ye County aforesaid. Proprietors 
and Joint owners of a certain peice of land, or Mines 
in said Wallingford, as leased out to them by Timothy 
Royce of s'd Wallingford, as will appear by said Lease, 
reference there unto being had to carry on the work 
11 



79 MIXES. 

in said Mines, Wittnesseth that wc the s'd partys do 
covenant and agree to, and with each other, and do 
hereby oLlidge and bind our Selves to Stand to, and 
perform the following articles, viz : 

" 1. That the Name of S'd Mine, Shall be the 
GoldKn Parlour. 

'• 2. That the Work to be done in said Mines, 
Shall be ordered by a vote of ye Majority of 
y^* owners, and ye Costs and Charge arising on ye work 
in 8aid mines shall be paid according to ye proportions 
of each owner's part. 

" 3. That Each owner's vote shall be in proportion 
to what part he owns. 

^'' 4. That if any owner or owners cannot attend ye 
meeting or meetings, appointed by ye Majority of 
ye owners in order to manage y® affairs of said mine, 
they shall have liberty to appoint any of y*^ owners to 
vote or act in his or their behalf, and said owner so 
appointed shall vote or act there in shall be 
llisteemed as good and valid as if the owner appointing 
was himself present. 

<^ 5. That Mr. Benj. Royce be a Clark to Enter and 
Keep y® votes that may from time to time be passed 
by the owners or the majority of said owners untill ye 
said owners shall chuse another in his room in which 
case, ye said Eoyce is to deliver all ye votes he has 
Entered and kept in y« Hands of said owners. 

" 6. That the last Wednesday of July, October, 
January and April, be days, Stated for y^ Meeting of 
Said owners at Meriden, to make up the acc'tts of said 
mine and also to pay what Charge or Cost may arise 
between each Meeting to y*= Satisfaction of ye under- 
taker, and if ye majority of ye owners shall think fitt 
to order a meeting on any other time, or times besides 



MIXES. 80 

those herein Stated ye meetings so ordered and ye 
affairs managed therein shall be good and valid. 

'• 7. That these articles be committed into y*' Hands 
of ye Clark for ye time being, and if any of ye owners 
desire a Copy hereof, ye said Clark sliall give it him 
attested under his Hand, he or they satisfying him 
therefor. 

" In confirmation of ye above mentioned articles, we 
the Subscribers, have hereunto Sett our Hands and 
Seals in Meriden, the Bay and Date above mentioned. 
'• Edward HIgbee, l. s. Thos. Thomas, l. s. 

Josiah Grriswold, l. s. Thos. Goodwin, l. s. 

Arthur Rexford, l. s. Benjamin Keys, l. s, 

Samuel Andrus, l. s. B. Stilman, l. s. 

John Pierce, l. s. 

" In Presence of 
Amos hall, Moses Parse, Jr., AVm. Hough." 

It appears however that previous to the formal or- 
ganization of the company on paper, a partnership 
liad actually existed, for a few months at least, as we 
find a paper dated the previous February. It is as 
follows. 

" A Record kept by Benjamin Roys, Clark of the 
proprietors of the mines in the land of Timothy Roys 
in woUingford. 

" February ye 11, 1736-7. Then the owners of the 
mines in the land of Timothy Roys in WoUingford, 
being Regularly met together at the hous of John 
Way in Wallingford, did then make up their Acounts 



81 MINES. 

of the Cliarg expended in the mines, from 8 of novem- 
ber, 1736, Which Charg did amount to the Sum of 
8G£, 4s, 2d. 

" At a meeting of the proprieters of the mines in 
the land of Timothy Roys in Wallingford, February 
ye 11, 1736-7. The said oneers did make A fair 
agreement with Arther Kexford, one of the owners, to 
Dig ten foot in the north Shaft of said mines keeping 
the Smoth wals east and west and about five foot wide 
finding himself Tools and materials for the Same, to 
be done in five montlis, for which work the said propri- 
eters did unanimously agree to give Said Kexford the 
vSum of eighty-one pounds, — 81 £-0-0." 

We have also the record of two other meetings of 
the company, as here annexed. 

" At a meeting of the Proprietors of ye Mine in 
Meriden on ye 27th day of April, 1737. 

" Voted, that mr. Griswold Shold be moderator for 
Said meeting. 

" That Thomas Thomas be an undertaker to carry 
on the work in Said Mine for yc Space of three months 
next ensuing. 

" That ye s'd Thos. Thomas be allowed at the rate 
of fifteen pounds per month, for so much time as he 
spends in said service, the time of pay to begin when 
the Hands begin to work in said mine. 

" That Arthur Rexford having desired to be released 
from a bargain he made to sink a Shaft of ten feet 
deep in s'd mine that he be released. 



MINES. 82 

'' At a meeting of ye proprietors of ye Mine in 
Meriden, on ye 27th day of July, 1737. 

'• Voted, That Mr. Grizwold be Moderator for s'd 
Meeting. Also, Voted, by a full Vote the majority of 
ye owners, that ye owners acording to their proportion- 
able parts, pay to Georg Bell the Sum of fourty pounds, 
upon his finishing a job of work he had undertaken to 
do in the Golden Parler, viz : to sink twelve feet in the 
deeper Shaft nerest to docter houghs and to leave the 
bottom of the Shaft nere the wedth and length that it 
now is, to find him Self withall materials, &c. necisary 
and Sutable to cary on and finish Said work. 

" And at s'd meeting, July ye 27, 1737, the s'd own- 
ers made up their acounts which did amount to the 
Sum of 132£, 13s. Id." 

These documents contain all the information we now 
have relative to the mines on " milking-yard hill." 
They were probably again abandoned after the unprofit- 
able labor of two or three years. 

Mining operations on a much smaller scale were 
commenced in another part of the town. The excava- 
tions are about fifty rods east of the turnpike road to 
Hartford, about one mile and three-quarters, from the 
centre of the town. Dr. Percival in his " Geological 
Survey," speaks of them as excavations for copper ; but 
tradition says, that small quantities of gold were found 
there. But there is no other information whatever as 
to the mine, its proprietors, products, or the time when 
it was worked. 



8S MINT?. 

More than one hundred ye.1r^; ago. Mr. Dan. Jolm- 
son, bougiit of Mr. Yale who was one of the first 
" planters" in Wallingford. a large traet of land, lying 
south of the "Hanging Hills," and within "the Notch" 
flo called, the picturesque pass or glen opening north- 
erly from the gate on the AVaterbury road, towards 
Kensington. This land was purchased on account of 
its probable value for mining purposes, and has been 
retained in the family of 3Ir. Johnson ever since : 
though the necessary expense of searching for ores, 
has hitherto prevented them from undertaking mining 
operations. Within " the Notch" is an elevation called 
" Mining Hill," which is said by those acquainted with 
Geology to abound in indications of valuable minerals. 

About sixty years ago, one Mr. Parsons commenced 
fbo excavation a short distance west of the Hanging 
Hills, just over the line between Southingtonand Meri- 
<len, and found gold in small quantitie.'^. It was taken to 
Hartford, assayed, and found to be pure gold. The 
search was not continued probably on account of the 
cost: for mining operations are usuall}^ so expen- 
sive, that individual enterprise and wealth, can rarely 
afford the cost and risk. Large and wealthy stock 
companies, are needed for such undertakings. 

In '• Sketches" like these it has been thought best 
to preserve a variety of other miscellaneous facts^ 
which, though individually unimportant, have some 
local interest for one who is desirous of information 



PHYSICIANS — REVOLUTIONAKY SOLDIi^RS. 84 

about former times. Such facts are accordingly here 
stated. 

Physicians. 

The first physician in Mcriden, was Dr. Isaac llall^ 
he died in 1781, and probably had practised here 
twenty or thirty years previously. He resided, while 
living, quite in the easterly part of the town, on that 
road which now passes the residence of Mr. Charles 
Paddock, and Dea. Silas Royce. Dr. Kndgii Hough., 
commenced business in this town, in 1769, and fixed 
his residence near the centre of the town. He ii^% 
well known, and highly esteemed. He died in 1813. 
His son. Dr. Isaac I Hough^ still surviving, com- 
menced medical practice in this town, in 1802. Dr. 
Wyllys Woodruff] entered on his profession here, about 
1825, and died in 1842, universally beloved for his 
many estimable qualities, and highly esteemed for his 
medical skill. The medical gentlemen, now in practice 
here, are of course well-known. 



Kevolutionary Soldiers. 

In that eventful war which terminated in the " In- 
dependence" of the United States, Meriden, whose 
whole population embraced but 123 families, nobly 
bore her share of exertion and peril, if we may judge 
by the numbers of her citizens, who were personally 
engaged in the contest. In addition to those who, as 
militia men, were called occasionally into service, the 



§5 REVOLUTIONARY SOLDIERS. 

persons whose names arc annexed, were soldiers In the 
reguLar army. There were probably others, of whom 
no information has reached me. 

*Johu Couch, Jotham Hall, Oliver Collins, 

t Joseph Shaler, James Baldwin, Lem. Collins, 
Joseph Twiss, John Ives, David Hall, 

B. Rexford, Jr., ^Chatham Freeman, Enos Hall, Jr. 
Abner Andrews, ^SBlack Boss, Joash Hall, 

Lamberton Clark, Ambrose Hotchkiss, A. Merriam, 
Edmund Merriam, Ephraim Merriam, Dan. Crane, 
David Roberts, Josiah Merriman. 



* John Cot'ch, held a commission, and was prisoner for several 
years on Long Island. 

t Joseph Siialer, was a Lieutenant in the rejjiment of Col. 
^leigs, a corps distinguished for its gallantry and efficiency. Sub- 
sequently he was engaged in the frontier war with the Indian 
tribes in the year 179L Having received a Captain's commisdoii 
he raised a company of soldiers from this town and vicinity, and 
joined the forces of Gen. St. Clair, in their expedition against the 
Indians on the Miami. At the time of St. Clair's disastrous 
defeat, with terrible slaughter of his troops, Capt. Shaler was 
absent as commander it is believed of some garrisoned fort, in 
the rear. About that time he and and his son venturing to hunt 
a Fhort distance from the fort, were attacked by Indians. His sou 
was killed and scalped. Capt. Shaler escaped. He settled in 
Ohio at the close of the war and died (here. 

t Chatham Freeman, was the slave of Mr. Noah Yale. Ac- 
cording to the State law of that period, any able-bodied male slave 
who enlisted in the army became thereby free. So far as these 
pages shall be read and preserved, the writer is happy to perpet- 
uate in them the memory of a colored " revolutionary hero." 

§ Bi.ACK Boss. He was the slave of Abel Curtiss, and like 
his colored friend preferred the harsh discipline of the camp, and 
the perils of battle, even to that very mild form of slavery which 
existed in Connecticut. The name here given is a nickname ; but 
is the only one by which he was ever known, according to the 
mformation of those elderly people who remember him. 



SLAVERY. 86 

For some of the preceding information, I am in- 
debted to Dea. Phinehas Hough, 

Slavery. 

It is painful to be compelled to place side by side 
with the facts just narrated, some features of olden 
time, not so creditable to our predecessors. Slavery 
had existed in Connecticut, though to a very limited 
extent, from an early period. In 1646, we are told 
that " an Indian woman fled from her master" to the 
Dutch.* " Though her master demanded her as his 
in'operiy^ they would not restore her," as was most 
assuredly right. Even at that early period, in a few 
cases, some Indians or Indian families, who had become 
by treachery or crime peculioTly obnoxious, were sold 
as slaves. 

Negro slavery did not exist in the Colony, I believe, 
until about the year 1680. At that time tkirtij slaves 
were brought from Barbadoes and sold at an average 
price of £22 each. From that time their numbers 
slowly grew by natural increase and by importation. 
But it is worthy of remark, that in this case, as in 
nearly, if not quite, all otJte?' cases, slavery commenced 
and grew ivithout any 2yositive latv. It became estab- 
lished in Connecticut without law ; it grew up in the 
Southern States without law ; it will grow up in New 



* This took place at Hartford ; near which, at a place still 
called " Dutch Point," the Dutch had then a small fort and 
garrison. 

12 



87 SLAVERY, 

Mexico and California without law. The man who sup- 
poses or pretends that there is no danger of its taking 
root firmly and speedily, because no law expressly 
authorises it, or who denies the necessity of an express 
prohibitory law to keep it out ; must have forgotten the 
manifold lessons of the past. 

Some few slaves were owned in this town. But 
that their condition living singly in the families 
of their masters, and laboring side by side with 
them, was very different from that of slaves, held 
and worked in large gangs, under a brutal over- 
seer, is unipestionable. They were indeed considered 
as members of the family and baptized as such on 
the plan of " household baptism." For we meet with 
entries on our Church records like the following. 
"March 1, 1741, baptized London, servant of John 
Webb." "Sep. 12, 1742, baptized Primus, servant of 
Lazarus Ives." '-Sep. 6, 1747, baptized Champe, a 
negro of Lazarus Ives." "April 24th, 1748, baptized 
negro child of John Merriam." About twenty of 
these baptisms are recorded within a period of forty 
years. 

The deaths among the slaves were also recorded no 
less carefully than the decease of the whites, though in 
somewhat less respectful terms. Thus in the register 
of burials for 1736, is this entry, "Aaron Lyman's ne- 
gro," and "Nov. 15, 1737, Theo. Mix's negro man." 
" Feb. 25, 1745, a negro of Serg't Jerom." " Feb. 28, 
1748, Serg't Jerom's negro child." Even the reverend 



SLAVERY. 88 

man who officiated at funerals, met with losses of the 
same nature, for I find this entry, "June 8, 1758, my 
negro child, Gin." 

On the records of deaths for thirty-eight years, from 
1728 to 1766, there are three hundred and sixteen 
names. Of these, twenty-nine are recorded in a man- 
ner which indicates that they were slaves, which is 
almost exactly one-eleventh of the whole number. If 
this he taken as an index to the relative proportion of 
the numbers, of slaves and whites, we reach the follow- 
ing results. In 1 729 there were in Meriden, 35 families, 
and giving to each family the average number of five 
persons — 175 inhabitants. In 1770, there were 123 
families, or 615 inhabitants. Supposing the slaves to 
be as one to eleven, we have in 1729, sixteen slaves, 
and in 1770, fifty-six. 

The slave trade, as such, never existed here, and yet 
transfers of slaves, as personal property not unfrequent- 
ly took place. Some singular documents being legal 
instruments of sale, are in my possession. Exact 
copies of two of them, which are regularly signed, 
sealed and witnessed by the parties respectively, like 
deeds of land, and which are here annexed, with the 
names of the contracting parties omitted. 

" Know all men by these presents that I 

of Meriden, Widow, for the consideration of thirteen 

pounds. Lawful money, already Received of 

of s'd Meriden, do sell and make over unto the s'd 



89 



SLAVERY. 



his Heirs and assigns forever* all my Right 

and title to and in Interest in the Negro Girl named 
time, that was the Estate of the s'd deceased, and that 
was let out to me for the settlement of s'd estate, and 
do hereby promise to warrant the same against all 
claims whatsoever. In witness whereof I have here- 
unto set my Hand and Seal this Second day of May, 
Anno Domini, 1760. 

, L. 8. 

'' Signed, Sealed and Delivered in presence of 



" Know all men by thees presents, that I ', 

of Wallingford, the County of New Haven, and colony 
of Conecticut in New england, Have Sold and Deliver- 
ed unto , of s'd Wallingford, one negro 

man called by the name of Steep, about eighteen years 
old who is in perfect health acording to the best of my 
knowlidg, for which negro I have Received of s'd 

, the sum of one hundred and eighty pounds, 

fold tenor, to my full satisfaction, and do promise to 
warrant and defend the sale of the above s'd negro, 



* We hope the benevolent seller did not suppose that the servi- 
tude was to extend to a future world. 

t This " old tenor" money consisted bills ofcred it, issued by the 
State, in the terrible embarrassments and debts consequent on the 
English, French and Spanish wars: which wars always involved 
the colonies, in great danger and expense. These bills, at one 
time became so depreciated, that they were received as 10 lor 1, 
and even 20 for 1. 



THE FIRST WAGON. 90 

durelng the term of his natureall life against all the 
lawfull claims of any person whatsoever, in witness 
whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal, this 
first day of March, A. D. 1743. 

, L. S. 



" Signed, sealed and delivered in presence of 



The first Wagon. 

In 1789, or 60 years ago, the first ivagon was 
brought into Meriden. It was owned by Mr. Ezra 
Rice. It was of a very rude construction, being 
simply a square framed box placed on four wheels, 
drawn by two horses, with ropes for traces, and cords 
for the guiding or driving lines. Yet it was then 
thought to be a very elegant establishment. Previous 
to that time, there had never been owned in the town, 
but three two-wheel carriages, being very rude, awk- 
ward chaise bodies or uncovered seats hung on two 
wheels, in the manner of our modern chaise. 

Quite in keeping with this fact is another, stated to 
me by a gentleman whose business led him at various 
times, into every house, and of course enabled him to 
know whereof he afl&rmed. He assured me that in 
1802, there was but oiie carpet in the whole town of 
Meriden. 



91 ROADS TAVERN'S. 

Until the year 1802, there was not a single road in 
town, which was made by being rounded from the 
centre to the sides, in the manner of a turnpike, and 
as our roads are all now made. They were more fre- 
quently lower than the sides, by continual wear of use, 
and washing of the rains, rather than raised above 
them. There can be little doubt that we find in this 
fact, the reason for laying out roads of the enormous 
width of six and even twenty rods. For as one track 
became worn, full of ruts, and sunk below the surface, 
the traveller could find sufficient room to pick out for 
himself a another and still another track,yet fresh and 
unworn, in the broad space of one hundred, or three 
hundred feet, reserved for a highway. As there were 
few laborers and plenty of land, this mode working 
the roads was cheaper than our modern process of la- 
boriously constructing one good, rounded track. As 
to the comfort of the traveller, there could not be much 
question. The present Hartford and New Haven 
turnpike which p««ses through the centre of the town, 
was completed about the year 1800. It was considered 
a Tast, wonderful and curious work at the time, so that 
people came to see it, just as they afterwards flocked to 
see the first rail road. 

Taverns. 

So far as the morals of the town are concerned, there 
are some rather curious facts. The number of taverns 
was astonishingly great. In 1790, and for some time 



SUBSTITUTE TOR A BELL. 92 

before, when the whole population of the town was not 
more than 900, and as late as 1812, there were Jive if 
not eigJit taverns within the limits of Meriden. As 
these taverns always kept ardent spirits, and as the 
population of the town was small, and as the amount 
of travel then, was much less than it is now, these 
facts, indicate a low state of morals. 

There are at present but two taverns in Meriden, 
with a population of about 3000. At only one of 
these, are spirituous liquors sold. 

Substitute for a Bell. 

We find in the old records frequent mention, of a 
curious custom, that of beating the drum on the Sabbath. 
As there was no bell, a substitute was procured in the 
form of a drum, which was beat all over the village, 
[of Wallingford] on the Sabbath, to call the people to 
the Church, and as the signal for all other public 
meetings. As early as 1673, is the following vote. 

"June 17, 1673. Sam'll Monson shall be alowed 
40s. for maintaining and beating the Drum in good 
order for the yeare ensuing." 

And in 1675, voted, "that Jeremiah How, have 40s. 
allowed him, for beating the drum, Sabbath days and 
other days." In 1676, 2£, 16s., was allowed "for 
beating the drum, Sabbaths, lecture days, and for town 
meetings." Again is voted " for beating drum, sab- 
baths, lecture days, trainings, and keeping in repair^ 
20s." In 1694, the town voted 3£ to purchase a new 



93 WOLVES — THE FIRST CIDER MILL. 

drum." With an increase of population, more sound 
was needed, and of course a larger drum. We find 
therefore a vote for the purchase of the instrument, 
with the order to sell the old one as follows, " Dec, 25, 
1705. The town eould the litle drum to Thomas Hall 
at an outcry for fifteen shilings and threepcns to be 
paid this yeare." As late as 1714, we find the practice 
still continued- There is little doubt that it was kept 
up, till a bell was purchased, i,n 1727, when the town 
voted to build a belfry, and we may suppose that they 
then purchased a bell, and gave up the drum after it 
had done service about 60 years. 

Wolves. 

As in eycFy new countiry, wild r^nimals were numer- 
ous and troublesome. The town ofTered a, bounty fo]if 
killing them. As early as 1678, eight years after tho 
town was settled, we find it voted, that " 2s. more be 
added to tho bounty given for killing each wolf." As 
late as 1702, this reward for killing wolves was still 
continued, and in Feb. 1713, 1 find this vote. 

"Feb. 17, 1713. The town voatted yt they would 
5,low five shillings to him that tracks a wolf or woolfs 
into a swamp, and then giv notis of ye same, and then 
tfiisea a company of men so that ye wolf or woolfs be 
killed." 

First Cider Mill. 
How *oou orchard,'^ were planted, and cider mad©^ w 



REGISTRY OF PERSONAL PROPERTY PRICES'. 94 

unknown. But in 1718, about 40 years after tlie set- 
tlement of the town, the town granted permission to 
one person, " to set up a eider mill." 

Kegistry of Personal PRorERTY. 

There appears from the records another custom now 
entirely abolished. Our present custom of entering 
on town records, all sales, and mortgages of real estate^ 
was then in existence. But it was also customary to 
enter on the town records the sale and transfer^ and 
description of 2-)ersonal ])'>'operty^ and particularly of 
animals of all kinds. There is a large volume entire- 
ly filled with these entries. I wdll copy only two, as 
specimens of several thousands. 

"The 5 of March, 1709, for sayd hall, a Blackish 
culered mare colt, one yeare coming a few whit hars in 
the forhad a few whit hars Below the Eys sum whit 
Bee twene y^ Nostrils Brandid y on the Left shoul- 
der." 

" The begining of Janewary, 1706, Sold by Samuell 
Roys to me, Joseph Whitin of harford, a bay hors a 
bout 5 year old sum whit one won of his foore feet 2 
notchis, one the back sid of Left Ear brandid y one 
the left shoulder." 

Prices. 

For many years, the amount of money in the country 
Was very small, and allusion has been made to the 
subject on a previous page. In Massachusetts, at one 
13 



05 roPULATioN*. 

tiiiK). tlio scarcity of small coin was so great, that a 
law was enacted, declaring that bidlcts should pass for 
farthings. Very naturally. therefore, it was common in 
contracts for WMjrk, salaries, and taxes, to make a spe- 
cific agreement that payments might be made in various 
kind.s of produce, with the prices attached. I have 
thought that some curiosity might be gratii&ed by a 
statement of these prices, in this town, at diflferent 
periods, which I have extracted from various old docu- 
ments. 

In 1673, Corn was Ss. per bushel, 

In 1674, Winter wdieat 5s. 6d. — •summer wheat 5s. — 
Peas 4s.— Corn 3s. 

In 1679, Winter Wheat 58. — Summer Wheat 4s. 6d. 
—Peas 3s. 6d.— Corn 2s. 6d.— Pork 3 l-2d. per lb.— 
Beef 2d. 

In 1710, Wheat 5s.— Kyo 3s. 6d.— Corn 2s. 6d. 

In 1755, AVheat 4s. — llye 2s. 6d. — Corn 2s. 

In 1770, AVheat 6s. 8d.— Rye 4s. 6d.— Corn 3s. 6d, 
—Oats 2s. Id.— Pork 3 l-2d. per lb.— Beef 3d.— But- 
ter Is. — Cheese 7d. 

In 1641, Mechanic's wages, Is. 8d. per day, in 
Massachusetts. 

Population. 

Some items relative to population not only in thi.s 
town, but in the State, which I have found scattered in 
books and docunients, may also gratify a rational cu- 
riosity, and hereafter may be of real value. They 



MISCKLLAXEOUS STATTPTICS. 96 

suggest many interesting tlioiiglits tliougli consisting 
only of figures. 

In 1655, there were but 775 taxable inliabitants in 
the whole State. 

In 1665, there were about 1700 families in Connec- 
ticut. 

In 1713, there were about 17.000 inhabitants In the 
State. 

In 1748, about 70.000 inhabitants in the State. 

In 1672, there were 42 "planters" in "Wallingford. 

In 1690, there were 73 families in Wallingford. 

In 1709, there were about 700 inliabitants in Wal- 
lingford. 

In 1729, there were 25 families in Meriden. 

In 1770, there were 123 families in Meriden. 

Miscellaneous Statistics. 

In the year 1680, the home government sent over to 
the Colonies, a long list of questions relative to their 
condition, agricultural, financial, political and ecclesi- 
astical. A full reply to these queries was sent back 
by the Legislature of Connecticut, from which I have 
gleaned a few facts, here annexed. 

" The country is a mountainous country, full of rocks, 
swamps, and hills; and most that is fit for plantations 
is talcpti itpy Yet the whole state then contained but 
about 10,000 inhabitants. 

Again they say, " The imports into the Colony are 
about of the value of £9000 annually." 



07 CONCLUSION'. 

'•The whole property of the Colony is rated at 
£110,788/' 

'•There arc 21 Churclics in the Colony: the salaries 
of the ministers, are from £50 to £100."' 

'• There arc twenty merchants in the Colony." 

" There are owned in the Colony, 4 ships, 3 pinks, 

8 sloops, and 12 other smaller vessels." 

The Post Office system was first established in Con- 
necticut in IG03, by special authority from the king. 
The mail went through the Colony from Boston to 
New York, once every v:cck. The postage from Boston 
to Hartford was 9d. 

Conclusion. 

I have thus presented my readers with a few sketch- 
es of olden time. But I am well aware that the pre- 
vious pages give a very imperfect view of the real 
worth of our fathers. For records and documents 
usually present only the bad or ludicrous side of hu- 
man nature. The Church, really holy and energetic, 
has but little business which goes on the records, though 
its members work like true men, and leave deep and 
permanent their mark on the community. But when 
offences and divisions, and cases of discipline occur, 
these fill up the records. One who reads such docu- 
ments, therefore, finds the evil which has transpired, 
fully embalmed, while the remembrance of the good 
has perished, or must be sought in other monuments. 
So has it been with our fathers. Something which is 



CONCLUSION. 98 

bad or ludicrous, something defective or rough accord- 
ing to our views of civilization and progress, attracts 
our notice, and we insensibly form an unfavorable 
opinion of their character. I fear that these pages 
may be charged with fostering such a mistake. We 
ought not therefore to forget, the true heroism, the 
noble conscientiousness, the far-reaching sagacity of 
those stern men in the wilderness : who in the midst of 
perils, discouragements, and poverty, laid broad and 
deep the foundations of New England institutions. 
Let me therefore in conclusion suggest some thoughts 
which may serve to bring out more distinctly both 
their disadvantage and their excellencies. 

Let us go back, one hundred and eighty years, and 
look at them and their circumstances, on the spot 
where the first village in the town was built. It is 
Sabbath morning ; but how different from our Sabbaths. 
With the exception of that little spot where the village 
stands, the eye wanders over a wide wilderness and 
forest, in whose deep recesses the savage was then lurk- 
inor. You look around for the Church, and see a little 
low building 28 by 24, and ten feet high, built of logs, 
without chimney, or steeple. About twenty-five 
houses, small and low, make up the whole of the village. 
As the time of public worship approaches, each man 
steps out of his house with a loaded musket on his 
shoulder, and powder-horn, and shot-bag, slung around 
his neck. The little congregation are soon gathered 
into the house of God, and the humble settlement is 



99 CON'CLVSION. 

still. save the tramp of armed sentmcls, who pace back- 
wards and forwards in the narrow 8pace which they 
call a street. For there is war, not war a thousand 
miles oli', fought by hired mercenaries, whom we send 
away to butcher, or be butchered, as the case may be, 
and whose marches and exploits just serve to make the 
newspapers interesting and exciting ; but war around 
their own houses, war from savages who have conspired 
to exterminate the white man ; war which may burst 
like thunder on their homes, and let loose the toma- 
hawk and scalping-knife on their families at any 
moment. 

We will enter the Church. There, on rough board 
seats are about GO or 70 men, women and children, and 
on a little block or platform stands the minister. He 
prays for protection from the Lord God of hosts, and 
that prayer 'nicans sotnetJuug^ when the next note they 
hear, may be the war-whoop ringing out from the 
adjacent forest : and there is not a solitary house, nor 
an arm to help them, nearer than Hartford or New 
Haven. He preaches : and the hopes of heaven, the 
consolations of religion mean something, when within 
their earthly horizon there is only wilderness, poverty 
and war. The congregation looks poor and rough in 
their apparel, and there is sad meaning in the loaded 
musket on which each manly head is bent as he stands 
up for prayer. 

But there are manly and earnest hearts, underneath 
that unpromising exterior, and there is the deep devo- 



CONCLUSIOX. 100 

tion of mcu who from their inmost souls honor God, 
and feel their dependence on him. 

Mark the contrasts now. Look over that same 
landscape, and see on every valley and hill-top, the 
marks of labor, wealth and taste. Hundreds elegantly 
dressed — perhaps too much so — are crowding into a 
spacious Church, where art has done its utmost to gra- 
tify the taste and promote the comfort of the worshipper. 
I wish I could say that all who lounge on these elegant 
and luxurious seats, sent up as devout homage to God 
as went up from that old log Church. Luxuries and 
improvements which those old " planters" never dream- 
ed of, are lavishly scattered through our houses, and 
over our town. 

Look again : you see a traveller starting from Hart- 
ford, on his way to New Haven. He is on horseback, 
with heavy saddle-bags depending from the saddle, and 
perhaps with pistols at his saddle-bow. After passing 
Wethersfield, he drives into the forest, where there is 
only a " bridle path," cut out through the trees. Slow- 
ly picking his way among stumps and swamps, with 
now and then some trepidation as an Indian crosses 
his path, he reaches towards nightfall, the old stone 
house called Meriden, and is glad to find that its stout 
doors and shutters can resist all hostile attacks. The 
next morning, at early dawn, he commences another 
hard day's journey, and has hardly gone beyond the 
tavern door, when he spies a troop of gaunt wolves 
upon Mount Lamentation, just returning from their 



101 CONCLUSION. 

night's hunt. He gets almost bcmircd in passing the 
swamp and unbridgcd stream at Pilgrim's Harbor, and 
about noon reaches the little settlement at Wallingford- 
In that day when mails and newspapers were unknown, 
but human curiosity was no less intense than it is now, the 
traveller was the news bearer. So our horseman as he 
enters the street is quickly besieged with the towns- 
people, inquisitive for the most recent intelligence. He 
tells them perhaps that a letter was received in Har^ 
ford but a week before he left, which had been brought 
through from Boston in three days. In this letter 
was the latest intelligence from Europe. The "Sea- 
bird," after a quick passage of two months, had brought 
the news of the death of Charles 2d, and of the acces- 
sion of James, four months ago. He gives them the 
latest account of the elections in Massachusetts and 
Plymouth, which took place three weeks previous, and 
adds a few items about the state of the Indians, and 
the arrivals of emigrants. But he must hasten on ; so 
leaving the country people to digest their news, he 
proceeds, wades through deep sands, and salt marshes, 
and by sunset, of the second day, arrives safely at 
New Haven. 

Contrast that journey, with the telegraph which car- 
ries news from Boston to New Haven in less than a 
second, and the rail road car which transports the travel- 
ler in one hour from Hartford to New Haven, in what 
may be appropriately styled a flying palace. 

Contrast their poverty witli our wealth, their inabil- 



CONCLUSION. 102 

ity foi' some years, to build for a house of worship a 
log cabin, such as any single journeyman now^ could 
pay for out of his own pocket without feeling it. Con- 
trast their poor schools and poorer school houses, with 
our elegant school houses and academies, where are the 
most lavish aids for the comfort and intellectual pro- 
gress of the pupils. Let us look at these contrasts, 
and be thankful. 

But while we may smile at some of the awkwardness 
and roughness of our fathers, let us remember that wc 
have reached our present stage of progress, because 
those fatJiers of ours tvere me5. Christian men, New 
England men. One hundred and eighty years ago, 
there was 7nore of the outward adornments and indica- 
tions of civilization in China^ than in Connecticut, 
But China has stood still, and Connecticut has made pro- 
gress. Why? because in Connecticut God had breathed 
into the souls of our fathers the breath of life — Chris- 
tianity and all the invigorating and elevating influences 
which ever accompany a true Christianity. Had they 
been vicious, heathenish, mean-souled, and degraded, 
we should now have been the ever degenerating sons 
of a degenerate race. 

Back to the institutions which they founded, the 
character which they transmitted to their children, 
must we trace the causes of the growth, intelligence^ 
and wonderful improvement of the present day. What- 
ever is really valuable in Meriden now, stands out as 
the true history, and the best monument of our fathers, 
14 



103 CONCLUSIOX. 

Let lis tlicu tills diiy, with grateful hearts, tiiasK 
(joi). that such lucu lived and toiled before us ; and 
embalm their memorieSj by imitating their virtues. 



APPENDIX. 



APPENDIX NO. 1 

Earliest deed of what aiipcars to have Icon the north 
half of Mcridcn. 

" Oct. 15, 1G64. 
" Know all men by these presents, that I *Seaukett, 
Indian, (abiding in or about Hartford, on Conec't) Sa- 
chem, owner and true proprietor of a large tract of 
Land in the AVoods towards New Haven att and about 
the land now in possession of Mr. Jonathan Gilbert, 
intitled and known by the name Me^'ideeii^ doe sell 
unto Edward Higbey, one parcell of land adjoining to 
the lauds of Jonathan Gilbert, aforesaid, — Hills, Rocks, 
brooks, swamps and all other appurtenances, bound- 
ed and formerly delivered, by marked trees, and by the 
land of say'd f Jonathan Gilbert and Pilgrim's Harber 

* Of this Seaiikett, we know nothing. He was probably one 
of the Mattabesitt tribe, who like many others, wandered away 
from their original habitations as their respective tribes gradually 
crumbled to pieces, before the combined influence of vice and 
civilization. 

t This land of Jonathan Gilbert was a tract lying in the south- 
erly pjirt of Berlin. Of course, land lying between that and 
Pilgrim's Harbor Brook, can be easily traced now. Its eastern and 
western boundaries are not here stated . 



lo.- 



ArPKXDTX. 



I>rook or River — all which sayd parcell of land with 
all prerogatives, privileges and any kind of appurte- 
nances thereon, and thereunto belonging, it shall be 
Lawful for the sayd Edward Iligbey, his heirs and 
assigns, to improve, possess, enjoy and that forever, as 
fully and as freely as the said Seaket ever did or might 
have done, in witness whereof by these presents, I bind 
myself, my heirs and assigns, quietly and peaceably to 
leave in the full possession of all the premises, the 
sayd Edward Higbey never to be molested by me the 
sayd Seakit, my heirs, or any other Indian or Indians, 
whatsoever, and so subscribe my name. 



© 



'• the mark of {*») Seaukeet. 

" In presence and witness of Bryan Rossetter and 
Mary Gilbert." 



APPENDIX NO. 2. 

Another deccl^ u-hich seems to have covered very nearly 
the same territory^ conveyed by a previous deed of 
" SeauJcetV' 

"Hartford, August 10, 1684. (date of record.) 
" Know all men whom this may concerne,that I Adam 
puit, Indian, belonging and now residing at *Podunk, 



* Podunk, was the original name of a river in Windsor, and 
was also the name of un Indian tribe, residing near that river. 



APPENDIX. 106 

have and doe hereby morgage all my land lyeing upon 
the Road towards Newhaven, beyond and next adjoyne- 
ing to Jonathan G-ilbarts *farme which tract of land 
being in length East and West Six Miles, and in 
breadth North and South five miles, with all the 
swamps, Kivers and meadow Land lyeing within the 
sayd Bounds and limits thereof, to John Talcot of 
Hartford in Conecticut Colony and his heires for ever. 
And in case the said Adam Puit do pay for and make 
full satisfaction for one parcell of Trucking cloaths in 
hand received of the said John Talcot within one full 
year after the sale hereof, and in case we the said 
partyes agree about the said land before the end and 
term of one year, (to say) for the purchase or sale 
thereof the said Adam is to receive foure coats more, 
as full satisfaction for the purchase thereof, the premi- 
ses not being performed as above said, I the said Adam 
Puit doe fully and freely resigne and deliver up the 
said land to John Talcott and his heires forever, to be 
theires to possess to enjoy, and to hold as their own, 
for ever, as witnesseth my mark on the day and year 
above said. 



'• The mark of Adam Cv^vSPuit, 




* This land of Jonathan Gilbert, has been mentioned in the 
previous deed and note. Of course, laud lying " beyond" that 
or south of it, must have been in the north half of Moriden. 



107 APrESDTX. 

'• witnessed buy us : Sammuell Talcott. Dorotliy 
Taleott. 

'-' Iliu-tfurd, October 18, 1G82." 



APPENDIX NO. 3. 

Julifi Talcufs deed of asHignmoU to the town of '\Val- 
lingford. 

" Know all men by these presents, that I John Tal- 
cott of Hartford, In Coneeticut colony, do fully, freely, 
clearely and absolutely, Alienate, assign and set over, 
resign and deliver up all my right, title, and interest, 
in the within written deed of sale,* to Mr. Sammuel 
Street, Mr. Jt)hn Moss. Lieut, nathaniell Meriman, Mr. 
John Brocket, Serg't Abraham dowlittle of AValling- 
ford. within the said Colony of coneeticut, to themselves 
for their proper use only benefit and behoof, of them- 
selves and the inhabitants of the sayd towne of 
wallingford within the said colony ; to them, their 
heires and assigns forever, to hold, use, occupy and 
improve the same, withall the emoluments, rents, 
emunitys, privilidges, franchises, comoditys and 
appurtenances, whatsoever and herein consigned, grant- 

* The land is not described and bounded in this assignment : 
hut in the orijrjnal records thi.s as.sijjuinout is acconipanif d by a copy 
ol" the Adam Puit deed, and also by a letter of Mr. Talcot to the 
town of Walhnfjford, too long to be inserted, and of no material 
vahif, in which he speaks of this " deed of sale," as the one 
received by him from I'uit. 



APPENDIX. 1 08 

iiig him and every one of them, full power and authority 
to llecord the same to themselves, their heires and 
assignes for ever, for the confirmation of the premises, 
for my selfe, heires, executors and Administrators doe 
fully ratifie and confirm this assignment unto Mr. 
Sammuell Street, Mr. John Moss, and to their associ- 
ates the inhabitants of Wallingford, them, their heires 
and assigns for ever, as witnesseth my hand and seal 
this fifteenth of may in the year of our lord, one 
thousand six hundred eighty and three. 

" John Talcott, seal. ^^ 

^' Witnessed by John church, Daniell Butler." 



APPENDIX NO. 4. 

Co?fJlnnation or grarit by the State^ to the town of Wal' 
lingford^ of that territory previoiisly assigned and 
set off to them by the action of the town of New Haven. 

" At a Court of Election held at Hearford, May 12, 
1670. This court having been moved to state the 
bounds of the new village, that is settling upon the 
plaine as you goe to New Haven, doe grant that the 
bounds shall come from the little brook at the south 
end of the great plain to the northward ten miles, and 
from the said brook Southward to Branford Bounds, 
and on each side of the river five miles. That is five 



109 A?rENDIX, 

miles on the cast side and five miles on the west side 
the river, Provided, that the said village be carried on 
and made a plantation, without any relation or subord- 
ination to any other town, and provided the bounds 
hereby granted to ye said village do not predjudice 
any bounds formerly granted to anj' plantation or par- 
ticular person, or do not extend to the north any 
farther than where the old road to New Haven goeth 
over Pilgrim's Harbor ; and this court orders that the 
plantation on the plains, on the road to New Haven, 
shall be called Wallingford.'' 



APPENDIX NO. 5. 
Tlic docmncnt to he inserted hcrc^ has (drcady been 
printed on Page 30. 



APPENDIX NO. 6. 

Action of the toion of New Havcn^ originating the 
^'- 'plantatiun^'^ at Wallingford^ aiul ajyjyointing Com- 
tnittec with instructions^ to carry out the design; 
referred to on 'page 17. 

" Extract from Wallingford Plantation Records, 
Vol. 1. 31st 11th month, 1669. 

1. The Committee do consent to put the said village 
clcgignc into ye hands of a competent number of per- 



APPENDIX. 110 

sons fitly qualified for that work, provided, they seas- 
onably appear and engage to undertake y^ same upon 
theire articles and further shall appoint some fit persons 
of y^ said number to be a committe with full power to 
manage their plantation afi'airs, untill the place come 
to be an orderly establishment within itself 

" 2. For y® safety and well being of church affairs, 
for y*^ Ministry and maintainance, the Committe do 
order yt y© s'd undertakers and successors, before (they 
are) admitted shall subscribe to the following engage- 
ment, Vide He, or they, as afs'd shall not by any means 
Disturb y® church when settled there, in their choice 
of Minister or Ministers, or other cli'h officers — or in 
any of their Ch'h Rights, Liberties, or administrations, 
nor shall refuse nor withdraw due maintainance from 
such ministry and untill such Ch'h be settled, shall 
submit to such order as y* said committe sliall make, 
for a Godly Minister to dispence ye word of God 
among them. 

" 3. That the said Committe to be appointed and 
their successors, in receiving of Planters, shall have 
due respect to New Haven persons, being fit and offer- 
ing themselves, so far as it can consist with the good 
of the place and capacity thereof, 

'• 4. Lastly. These articles being accepted, the s'd 
Company and all others admitted planters among 
them, shall enjoy their accommodations and Lands, 
without payment of purchase money to New Haven ; 
to thcmsclveSj their hcirSj successors and assigns, for 
15 



Ill APPCN-DIX. 

over, so far as concerns New Haven town's purchase 
within the village bounds, the said town of New Haven 
consenting there unto. 

" And we do nominate, Mr. Samuel Street, John 
Moss, John Brockett and Abraham Doolittle to be a 
Committc whom we hereby impower to manage all 
plantation affairs in y« said village according to, and 
in pursuance of the above written articles, and to see 
the same attended and performed by the planters, eith- 
er, are or shall be by them the said committe, and also 
for to disposal and distribution of allotments in some 
such equal way as shall best suit the condition of the 
place and ye inhabitants thereof, and to use their best 
means, they can for procurement of some able and fit 
man to dispense the word of God among them, and 
lastly, we do impower them, the above-named committc 
to make choice of such other fit persons into the exer- 
cise of their power and trust with themselves, for their 
assistance, if any such shall appear among them, and 
the major part of the said committc, hereby appointed 
or intended, have full i)ower to act in all the premises, 
as they shall see cause, in pursuance of the said arti- 
cles and undertakings. In testimony whereof, and to 
all the said articles and premises, We the Committe ap- 
pointed by New Haven, thereunto, have set to our hands. 
" William Jones, John Harriman, 

Mathew Gilbert, John Humiston, 

Wm. Broadley, Abraham Dickcrman," 

Jeremiah Osborn. 



APPENDIX. 112 

APPENDIX NO. 7. 

TJte covenant or original agreement of the first planters 
at Wallingford^referredtoouiiage 17. 

" We whose names are underwritten, being accepted 
by the Committee of New Haven, for ye intended Vil- 
lage as planters, and desiring that the worship and 
ordinances of God may in due time, be set up and 
encouraged among us, as the main concernment of a 
christian people, doe sincerely and in the fear of Grod, 
promise and engage ourselves that we shall not neither 
directly nor indirectly, do anything to hinder or ob- 
struct any good means that shall be used by the said 
committe, or others intrusted by them, to promote the 
premises, by securing a Godly and able ministry among 
us to dispense to us the word of God, and when such 
ministry, or a Church of Christ shall be settled among 
us, we engage by no means to disturb the same in their 
choice of a minister or ministers or other ch'h officers, 
or in any other of their ch'h rights, liberties, or admin- 
istrations, nor shall refuse or withdraw due maintainance 
from such minister, or ministry, and farther we doe 
engage ourselves peaceably to submit to such settle- 
ment, and Civil order as the said committe shall direct 
among us either by themselves, or some others as a 
committe by them appointed, upon the place, untill the 
said village come to be an orderly establishment within 
itself, and lastly we doe engage personally to settle 
upon the place, by May next, come twelve month, if 
God's providence inevitably hinder not, and to observe 



113 



APPENDIX. 



ail J perform all 

upon. 

" Samuel Street, 
Niith'l Mcrriinan, 
William Johnson, 
Benjamin Lewis, 
Thomtus Hall, 
Jeliiel Preston, 
Daniel Sherman, 
Samuel Cook, 
Joseph Benham, 
"William Johnson, 
John Peck, 
Nathan Andrews, 
Samuel Milles, 



and every the otlicr articles agreed 



John Mosse, 
Ahraliam Dowlittle, 
Daniel Hogge, 
Thomas Curtiss, 
John Beech, 
Eliazer Holt, 
John Hall, 
Zac'h How, 
Samuel Potter, 
Eleazer Peck, 
Samuel Browne, 
John Ives, 
John Harriman, 



John Brockett, 
Jero How^, 
Sam'l Whitehead, 
Thomas Yale, 
Elisaph Preston, 
Samuel Andrews, 
Samuel Hall, 
Nath'l How, 
Joseph Ives, 
Samuel Munson, 
John Milles, 
Simon Tuttell, 
Frances Heaton." 



APPENDIX NO. 8. 
TItc docnmcnt to be inserted here^ has already been 
printed on Page 27. 



APPENDIX NO. 9. 

Deed to Bartholomcio Foster. 



19, 1710. 



" Sept. 

" Tliomas Yale, John Merriman and Thomas Hall, 
committee of Wallingford, to sell Indian lands, grant 
to Bartholomew Foster, the Town right to a certain 
Tratct of land of 350 Acres, situated between Pil- 
grim's Harbor and Merridan, bounded on ye N. E. 
corner by a Black Oak tree, thence by the road that 
goeth to hartford 207 Rods to a W. Oak tree, thence 



AITESDIX. 114 

westward 3 12 Rods to a Black oak tree, tliat side bounds 
by land of Mr. John Hudson, thence Northwardly 112 
to a Bl'k oak tree, thence 120 Rods to a Walnut tree, 
thence on a line to the first station 2GG Rods." 

APPENDIX NO. 10. 

Deed of laml^ north and east of Pilgrim^s Harhort 
to John Me/rumij 1716. 

" Know all men by these presents, that I John Prout 
Sen'r, of New Haven, and Col. of Conn. Gent., for and 
in consideration of ye sum of Three Hundred and five 
pounds, current money, to me in hand well and truly 
paid by John Merriam of Wallingford, have sold, grant- 
ed and C. a certain tract or parcel of Land, known by 
ye name of ye Country farme formerly granted to 
James Bishop of New Haven, by the Governor and 
Company of ye said Colony of Conn., containing three 
hundred Acres Abutting south on ye old line of Wal- 
lingford Township, North on ye Coles farm. East on a 
brook, or land formerly Mr. William Jones' Esqr., west 
on commons or land of late years laid out to sundry 
persons of ye said town of Wallingford, situate lying 
and being the wilderness at a place,* commonly called 



* This part of the deed, shows that there was a precise locality, 
called Pilgrim's Harbor : and that West ]\Ieriden, was that place. 
The stream running though it is sometimes called Pilgrim's Har- 
bor brook — and sometimes Pilgrim's Harbor simply, without 
putting on the word brook — ^just as we sometimes speak of Con- 
necticut river ; and sometimes speak of the Connecticut merely, 
without adding the word river. 



I 1 5 APPENDIX. 

Pilgrim's Harbor, northward of Wallingford old bounds 
and J 1-2 Acres of hoop land, situated in Wallingford, 
aforesaid nere ye said farm be ye same more or less, 
formerly belonging to Robert and Isaac Roys, as wit- 
nesseth my hand at New Haven, this 3 day of Novem- 
ber in the year 171G. 

"John Prout, 
"Mary Prout." 

APPENDIX NO. 11. 

TJie document to be inserted Jicre is omUted. 

APPENDIX NO. 12. 

Manufactures in Mcriden in 1849, 

[omitting the ordinary mechanic arts, which furnish 
articles for use in town.] 

Julius Pratt & Co. — Ivory Combs, of great variety 
of sizes and qualities ; 42 hands. 

AValter Webb & Co. — Ivory Combs of great variety 
of sizes and qualities ; 33 hands. 

Pratt, Ropes, Webb & Co. — Table cutlery of great 
Variety of size, finish and cost ; 75 hands. 

Curtiss, Morgan & Co. — Locks and latches in great 
variety, with a large assortment of small iron castings ; 
50 hands; raw material $12,000.* 

Charles Parker. — Coffee mills, latches, vises, britta- 
nia and plated spoons, of each a great variety, with a 
large miscellaneous assortment of other iron castings ; 
60 hands. 

C. & E. Parker. — All kinds of brass and iron castings- 



* In this and all cases, the pum attached to the words 
material," indicates the value annually consumed. 



APPENDIX. IIG 

Oliver Snow & Co. — Iron Pumps, and all kinds of 
machinery to order ; 20 hands. 

Foster, Merriam & Co. — Castors, and a variety of 
brass and iron castings ; 14 hands 5 raw material $8000. 

Julius Parker. — Harness trimmings, hinges and iron 
castings ; 8 hands. 

Henry M. Foster. — Spring balances and Steelyards; 
3 hands. 

Julius Ives. — Cast iron inkstands ; 3 hands. 

H. T. Wilcox. — Steelyards and bit braces; 7 hands; 
raw material $4000. 

Sanford, Parmelee & Co. — Augurs, skates, rakes and 
bitts, in great variety ; about 40 hands. 

Stedman & Clarke. — All kind of plain and japan- 
ned tin ware ; about 40 hands ; raw material $20,000. 

Goodrich & Rutty. — All kinds of plain and japan- 
ned tin ware ; 18 hands ; raw material $10,000. 

Lauren T. Merriam. — All kinds of plain and japan- 
ned tin ware ; 25 hands ; raw material $6000. 

H. W. Curtiss. — All kinds of plained and japanned 
tin ware ; 8 hands ; raw material $6000. 

Charles Pomeroy. — All kinds of plain and japanned 
tin ware ; 18 hands. 

Blakeslee, Stiles & Co. — Plain and japanned tin 
ware ; 4 hands. 

Charles Waterman. — Kettle ears and candlesticks ; 
about 5 hands. 

Frary & Benham. — Brittania ware of various kinds ; 
10 hands; raw material $20,000. 

Wm. Lyman. — Britannia ware of various kinds ; 6 
hands. 

L. C. Lewis. — Britannia ware of various kinds ; 8 
hands ; raw material 



117 APPENDIX. 

S. L. Cone. — Britannia ware of Vcariou.skiudH ; 4hand.=;, 
L. G. Baldwin. — Britannia ware and spoons ; 5 

hands. 

Crocker & Pratt. — Brass and plated articles, like 

letters for signs, lamp chains, stove ornaments, &c. ; 

'20 hands. 

Edwin Birdsey. — "Wood turning, wooden combs and 

packing boxes ; 15 hands ; raw material $8000. 

Birdsey & Williams. — Bone buttons ; 12 hands ; 
raw material $7000. 

II. Gri.swold. Bone buttons ; 20 hands ; raw mate- 
rial $8000. 

Calvin Coo. Neats foot oil, ground bones and gyp- 
sum j 4 hands. 

"Wm. Hale. Suspenders ; hands work at their own 
homes ; raw material $20,000. 
Jedediah Wilcox. — Carpet bags. 

W. K. & -S. L. Treat. — Sashes, blinds and doors ; 5 
hands. 

Osgood & Co. Platform Scales ; 3 hands. 

Samuel Yale. Tin ware and lamp screws ; 4 hands. 

Agricultural PfcOducts of Meriden, in 1845, as 
taken by the Assessors. Firewood, 1,147 cords ; Wool, 
1,191 lbs. ; Corn, 8,523 bush.; Buckwheat, 2,114 ; Bye, 
5,206; Oats, 7,180; Potatoes, 8,590; Hay, 1,656 tons; 
Tobacco, 8,000 lbs.; Butter, 52,560 lbs.; Cheese, 5,675 
lbs.; Honey 706 lbs. 



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